The Deal
by EpicallyObsessed
Summary: When Kendall Knight runs into his crush James Diamond, he's eager to get his chance with the brunet. But Kendall's player past, quickly gets in the way of that. So James makes a deal with Kendall, one that would give Kendall the chance he's been wanting. Will Kendall be able to prove that he's willing to commit and settle down? (AU; Contains Slash: Kames, Cargan)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Yes, I'm here with _another _story! But this is one is pretty short. It's also a story that I started about a year ago. It's closely based off a book that I read, and it's practically finished so I figured since I've been so busy lately, I could post this to hold everyone over until I can update my other stories more regularly :) **

**I'm also trying another writing style in this story. I've been trying different styles lately just to see what works best for me. This is also a little different because even though it's a Kames story, I kinda switched Kendall and James' roles. Usually, James is kind of the player in most stories so... well you'll see ;)**

**I've already given quite a bit away, so I hope you all enjoy! **

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><p>Kendall stiffened as he caught sight of a tall brunet coming through the door of the bar. The guy looked around expectantly and Kendall stared in disbelief. It couldn't be… Oh hell, it <em>was<em>.

"Hey, James! Over here!" Kendall's friend Carlos waved at the newcomer who grinned widely as he approached.

Carlos stood to greet James, pulling him into a hug. "Welcome back to Minnesota."

"Thanks!" James replied. "It's nice to be home."

"This is my boyfriend, Logan." Carlos gestured to the guy beside him.

"Hi. It's good to meet you, James." Logan said, giving James a slight wave.

"Thanks, you too." James replied with a bright smile.

"And you remember Kendall?"

Carlos' words snapped Kendall out of his shocked state, reminding him to pay attention to the conversation and attempt to smile instead of gaping like a dead fish.

Kendall reached over the table, narrowly avoiding a pint glass with his elbow, and offered his hand for James to shake.

"Of course." James said as his hazel eyes met Kendall's green ones, and there was a spark of something in James's eyes. Maybe interest or amusement? His grip was strong, and Kendall missed the warm clasp of it when James released his hand.

"Good to see you again." Kendall said. "Are you back visiting for the weekend?"

"Nope. I'm here for good." James smiled. "It's kind of a long story. Anyway… I need to get a drink. Anyone want anything while I'm up?"

Kendall looked at the couple of inches left in his pint glass and decided he definitely needed more alcohol to deal with James being back.

"Yeah, a pint of beer, please."

As soon as James had left to go to the bar, Kendall leaned across the table and fixed Carlos with a heated glare.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" He snapped.

"What?" Carlos tried, and failed, to look innocent. "I guess I forgot. You didn't know him that well, did you? I didn't think you'd be interested."

Logan was frowning between the two of them, obviously trying to figure out what was going on.

"Yeah, right. I've only had a crush on him for pretty much forever. Of course I'd be interested to know he was back in town." Kendall said before picking up his glass and gulping down the little bit of beer that was left.

"Yeah." Carlos chuckled. "Okay, I knew. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see your face when he walked through the door." He said before turning to Logan. "It was an unrequited crush. James was totally straight when we were students."

"Wait, what?" Kendall asked , snapping his head back up to meet Carlos' amused gaze. "You said 'was.' Was totally straight?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that part too? Yeah. He came out last year while he was in California. Changed his 'interested in' on Facebook." Carlos said, using his fingers to illustrate the quotes.

"Fuck." Kendall's brain wasn't ready to accommodate this new information. "Shit, he's coming back. You're such an ass for not telling me this before."

Carlos was busy trying to stifle his giggles as James walked back toward them with a tray of drinks, so Kendall addressed Logan instead. "Your boyfriend is an evil little shit."

Logan shrugged and put an arm around Carlos' shoulder, drawing him close. "Yeah. But he's _my _evil little shit, aren't you babe?"

Kendall rolled his eyes as Carlos turned to kiss Logan briefly on the lips and they gazed adoringly at each other.

"Save me from their nauseating sweetness." Kendall pleaded to James as he took a seat beside Kendall. "I have to live with this at home, and now I can't even escape it in the bar."

"Here." James said with a soft chuckle, passing Kendall his new drink. "So you live with these guys?"

"Yep. Me and Carlos carried on sharing a place after we graduated, and Logan moved in a few months ago."

Kendall had lived with Carlos ever since their first year of college when they ended up as roommates. They'd hit it off right from the start and had been best friends since.

James had always been part of their wider circle of friends. He'd been taking the same courses as Carlos, so they occasionally ended up at the same parties. James wasn't much of a party boy though, and on the rare occasions he'd been out drinking with them, he'd been pretty quiet. Not the center of attention like Kendall and Carlos often were.

But Kendall had noticed him all the same and had indulged himself in his straight-boy-crush, entertaining what he'd presumed were wild fantasies of turning James, showing him how great it could be to be with a guy. Apparently some else had beaten him to it.

Of course Kendall had never tried anything because he thought it would be a waste of time. So he's kept himself busy, sleeping his way through a string of different guys, experimenting, having fun, but never really falling for anyone.

Kendall's gaze dropped to James' large hand where it curled loosely around his glass. His fingers were long so long and they had a slight glowing effect thanks to the overhead light. Kendall realized he was staring when Logan broke the silence.

"So, James. Where are you living?"

"I've moved into a shared flat with Lucy. You'd know her, I think, Kendall? She had Biology with you."

"Oh, yeah." Kendall nodded, pictured the rocker girl with red streaked hair. "Yeah, I remember her."

"Her old flatmate just left to start a PhD in California, so she had a spare room."

"Nice." Carlos replied. "We're still in the same place we were living during our third year of college."

The conversation carried on for a while, moving on to discuss other mutual friends and acquaintances and what they were doing now. Many of them had initially stayed in Minnesota after graduation but were starting to drift away as better jobs and opportunities came up in other cities.

Kendall was unusually quiet, still struggling to digest the news that James was gay. Gay and out. Thinking back, Kendall never remembered him having a girlfriend while they were students. He wondered whether James had been celibate or just discreet about any same-sex experimentation.

As the evening progressed, their group got bigger. Other people arrived, more than could fit around their table, and the group split up a little. Some people stood in twos and threes chatting, and a few drifted off to the dance floor at the back of the room.

Kendall went to dance for a while, needing to burn off some of the nervous energy that was fizzing through him at seeing Kendall again. When he came back, he found Carlos standing at the bar waiting to be served, and their places at the table now taken by a couple of girls chatting with James and Logan.

"Hey." Kendall squeezed in beside Carlos. "Can you get me another beer if you're being served?"

"Sure."

Once they had their drinks, they stayed near the bar, leaning against the wall.

"Is that Lucy?" Kendall asked, looking more closely at the girls talking to James and Logan. "Wow. I almost didn't recognize her without her red streaks." He added jokingly.

Kendall's gaze then drifted to James and stuck there. James looked as good as ever. His brunet hair was cut in the same short style he'd had at college, except now, it looked like he may have used gel to keep it up. Kendall stared longingly at James' tall frame and strong shoulders and imagined what he'd look like with less clothes on. All that deliciously tanned skin that flushed so easily. Kendall bet it would be really easy to suck marks onto him, and he'd love to find out if he was right.

"Eye fuck him a little harder, and he won't be able to walk without wincing tomorrow. You're practically drooling. Why don't you go and talk to him?" Carlos said, giving Kendall a gentle nudge.

"I'm going to." Kendall turned his attention back to Carlos. "I'm biding my time."

"You gonna see if he wants to hook up, or go out sometime, or what?"

"I guess." Kendall said, taking a sip of his beer. "I might as well be upfront about it."

Kendall's usual strategy with picking up guys was the unsubtle approach. He'd never bothered with dating, preferring to be frank about his attraction and making it clear it was sex he was after. It rarely failed him. His green eyes and leanly muscled body appealed to lots of guys, and when he'd set his sights on someone, he didn't often get turned down.

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><p><strong>Done! So yeah, I've kinda made Kendall a bit of a player in this story :P <strong>

**Again, this story won't be too long, probably around fifteen chapters. But it'll have a little bit of everything. Comedy, romance, and of course some drama!**

**I'd really love to hear your thoughts on the chapter as well as how you think James will respond to Kendall's advances! **

**I'll be updating my story Haunted tomorrow! As for this story, like I said, I have a good portion of it already typed, so I'll be posting the next chapter within the next couple of days!**

**Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again everyone! It's time for a new chapter! I was going to update this earlier this week since it was already finished but I've been really sick the past couple of days. Thankfully I'm finally starting to get over it, so I can start back posting chapters for this story and writing for my other stories! **

**I'd like to give a huge thank you to germanfanfictioner, winterschild11, annabellex2, jhansikirani17025, and No-Emotions-To-Cry for reviewing last chapter! As usual, I was a little nervous about posting this since it's a little different from what I usually write, but I'm so glad you all are liking it so far!**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

**Warning: Language and Kames sexy talk ;)**

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><p>Kendall got his chance a little later in the evening. The others were dancing, and Kendall was sitting with James and Lucy. When Lucy wandered off, Kendall moved his chair a little closer and grinned at James, who smiled back warily.<p>

"So," Kendall began. "I gather you're into cock now?"

James' eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed pink. "Um… yes?"

"Cool. So, do you wanna get out of here and go someplace to fuck, or suck, or whatever?"

"Seriously?" James asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah." Kendall said, letting his gaze slide down over James' torso to land on his crotch. It looked like James might be getting a little hard. "I always thought you were hot. I just never knew you swung my way. So how about it?"

James cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was definitely getting hard. Kendall lifted his eyes expecting to see a smile. But James was frowning and biting his lip.

"That's… flattering, but I'm not interested."

Kendall raised an eyebrow and glanced briefly at the bulge in James' jeans again. "You sure about that?"

James' face was even more pink now, but he held Kendall's gaze. "I'm not interested in a hookup. I've been there, done that, and decided that casual sex isn't for me. I'm looking for something more serious."

Kendall blinked. This wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go. He found himself blurting out his next words without thinking. "What, like a relationship? I could have a relationship. With you, I mean."

James laughed then, and his laughter only pissed Kendall off, because what the fuck? He'd made a move and was being laughed at. That wasn't cool.

"What's so fucking funny?"

"Sorry." James pulled himself together and pasted on a more serious expression. "But Kendall, you don't _do _relationships. Everyone knows that. I know what you were like in college, and from what I've heard, you haven't changed much. And that's fine, to each their own. But I don't want to be another notch on your bedpost. I'd rather be friends with you than one of your conquests."

Kendall's irritation rose, and he resisted the urge to pout childishly, but he wasn't prepared to back down. James' words had stung, because yes, Kendall would be the first to admit that he could come off as a bit of an asshole, but that wasn't the case. Not completely anyway.

He'd never strung anyone along or made promises he couldn't keep. And he'd never met anyone who made him want more than a one-night stand or a few casual no-strings-attached repeats. It didn't mean that he wasn't capable of having a relationship, and he found himself wanting to prove to James that he wasn't as bad as his reputation seemed to imply.

"Will you go on a date with me instead, then?" Kendall asked.

"A date?" James narrowed his eyes. "What, so we eat first and then have sex? I'm not sure that would be any better."

"We don't have to have _sex_!" Kendall protested, raising his voice in frustration, then lowering it quickly as he noticed a few people glancing his way. "You know, contrary to popular opinion, that's not the only thing I'm interested in."

"So if we went on a date, you wouldn't expect me to put out?" James asked, his lips quirking in amusement. He seemed to be enjoying this conversation a little too much.

"Not unless you wanted to."

"I'd like to get to know you better first. I think we'd need more than one date for that."

"Okay, so what's your magic number? Try me."

James' brow furrowed as he considered the question for a moment.

"Five." He finally said. "Five sex-free dates. Then when we've had a chance to connect, we can take it from there. Oh, and in case it wasn't obvious, if this is going to be a relationship, I'd expect you to be exclusive." James sat back in his seat and folded his arms. "So, what do you say?"

Kendall glared at him. James' pink lips stretched further as he grinned, and all Kendall could think was how he wanted to kissing that grin right off of James' smug face.

"I'm in." Kendall said in response, with James' smile vanishing abruptly.

"You're… what, really?"

"Really." Kendall smirked, finding James' obvious surprise very satisfying. "Five dates with no sex. So, when are you free this week? I can see you every night apart from Thursday, so if you're free to meet most nights we can be done with all five dates by next weekend."

"Oh no. No way." James shook his head. "If we're going to take things slow, the dates need to be spread out. One a week for five weeks."

Somehow, Kendall had thought his loophole was too good to be true.

"You drive a hard bargain, but okay." He shrugged, conceding some ground, but not defeated. "Next weekend for our first date then?"

"Okay."

"And while we're discussing ground rules for this… whatever the fuck this is," Kendall started. "What are we counting as sex for the no-sex rule? No fucking obviously, but does that extend to no blowing each other? No handjobs? What about dry humping?"

"Shh!" James hissed, his face red as he moved his chair closer, leaning in so he could talk quietly. "Keep it down, you idiot!"

To be fair, Kendall's voice had gotten rather loud, and a group of girls at the next table were looking very interested in their conversation.

"Well?" Kendall asked. "We need to be clear what the boundaries are. Can we even kiss?"

"Kissing is fine." James replied promptly as his gaze dropped to Kendall's mouth. He paused before adding, "No orgasms. That's the line."

"No orgasms while we're together, I hope you mean. Please tell me I'm still allowed to wank, otherwise my balls might explode." Kendall said, with James snorting in response.

"Yeah, because obviously that's a physical possibility. But yes. Of course you can still wank, you idiot."

"Are you going to keep calling me an idiot through this whole thing?"

"If you keep acting like one I will." James responded with a cheeky grin.

"Fine." Kendall huffed before smirking. "So, it's really okay for me to wank. Even if I think about you while I do it?" He asked, enjoying the blush that coloured James' cheeks at the question.

"Whatever floats your boat."

"Okay." Kendall rubbed his hands together. "So we're really going to do this then? First date next weekend? You'd should give me your number, so we can sort out when and where."

They swapped phones and entered their contact details. When James handed Kendall's phone back, Kendall sent a smiley face to test he had it right. James sent one back with its tongue hanging out.

"That's what you'll look like after five dates with me, baby." Kendall teased. "You'll be begging for it. Just you wait."

James just shrugged, amused. "Probably. But by then, sex with you might mean something, and I'd rather wait and find out."

"I bet you were one of those kids who always saved up their Easter chocolate and still had some left at Christmas, weren't you?"

"Well… maybe not Christmas. But I sometimes made it last for a couple months."

James didn't even sound as though he were joking. Kendall just had to hope that James was going to prove more susceptible to his charms than he was to the lure of chocolate, because he didn't want to have to wait five weeks to get into James' pants.

Kendall put his phone back in his pocket. "I'll text you sometime this week, and we'll sort something out."

"Okay."

XxX

When they got home from the bar, Kendall explained the situation to Carlos and Logan. Logan listened sympathetically, while Carlos cackled like a hyena.

"I can't believe he got you to agree to it." Carlos finally stopped laughing long enough to get a sentence out. "You must really like him. You've basically agreed to woo him, like some Victorian suitor or something."

"No I haven't." Kendall snapped. He clutched his glass of water more tightly and wondered whether he should take some Tylenol for the beer headache that was already making his head throb. He was going to feel like crap in the morning. "There will be no wooing. We're just going on a few dates to get to know each other. It's not such a radical idea, is it?"

"It's radical for you. You've never been on a date in your life!"

"Yes I have!"

"So you're going to do it then?" Logan cut in. He appeared to be taking Kendall's situation a little more seriously than Carlos was, and Kendall was grateful.

"Well, yeah. I guess." Kendall shrugged. "I do like him. I'm not sure what I was thinking, agreeing to his conditions, but I've done it now, and I'm not one to back down from a challenge. It's only five weeks. How hard can it be?"

"Very _hard_, I imagine." Carlos giggled, to which Kendall just glared at him.

"But maybe the sex will be all the better at the end of it?" Logan suggested. He and Carlos were lying back on the sofa, snuggled together like puppies, all sleepy and affectionate.

"Maybe."

Kendall wasn't convinced. He thought sex was pretty great even when it was with people he didn't give a shit about. It felt good, he got off, they got off. What wasn't to like about it. Okay, so Carlos claimed that sex with Logan was the best sex he'd ever had. Kendall found it hard to beleive it made much difference.

But as he watched Logan tightened his arms around Carlos, while Carlos idly took Logan's hand and played with his fingers, Kendall thought that kind of easy intimacy with another person must be nice. Maybe he'd get to find out.

"so where are you going on your first date?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know. We haven't discussed it yet. We swapped numbers, so I'll give him a call during the week."

"Playing it cool are you?" Carlos grinned. "Bit late for that, isn't it?"

"Whatever. He made me agree to this. I'm not rushing to organise anything for next weekend. I'll leave it a few days before I make contact." Kendall shrugged before drinking down the rest of his water.

"I'm going to bed now." He said putting his glass down on the coffee table and pushing himself up from his chair a little unsteadily. "'Night."

"Goodnight." Logan and Carlos replied in unison.

Kendall heard whispers and muffled giggles, then the sound of kissing as he closed the door behind him. "No fucking on the sofa." He called out to the couple. "Go to bed!"

Kendall had only caught them doing that once, but he was determined they'd never live it down.

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><p><strong>Done! So Kames is... semi-officially-maybe in motion! :P <strong>**Will Kendall be able to prove himself to James and win him over? Only time will tell! **

**Next chapter you all will get a peek into James' head to see how he really feels about all of this. I'm pretty excited for it becuase you find out that there's a little more to James than he's letting on.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter as well as if you had a favorite moment and what you all think might happen next! :)**

**Next chapter will be up soon, so until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Time for another new chapter! But before we continue, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to winterschild11, child who is cool, germanfanfictioner, Riku child of Dawn, annabellex2, and Chey21 for reviewing last chapter!**

**This chapter is a little on the short side, but you'll get a little insight on James' backstory as well as his personality. **

**I hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>"You and Kendall were looking pretty cosy last night." Lucy remarked as James took a seat beside her on the sofa. She muted the TV and turned to face him, tucking her legs up underneath her.<p>

"I suppose." James replied. He wasn't sure he was ready to discuss the events of the night before. He still couldn't quite believe the situation he'd landed himself in.

But Lucy wasn't going to drop it. "So?"

"I think we're going on a date. Next weekend."

"A date? I didn't think Kendall was the dating type. Not from what I've heard, anyway."

"He's not usually." James admitted. "But he wanted to hook up and I told him I wasn't interested in that. Somehow he ended up agreeing to go on dates with me instead."

"Dates, plural?" Lucy raised her eyebrows.

"Yep, five of them." James nodded.

Once James had finished reluctantly explaining the details of his arrangement with Kendall, Lucy was relentless in her questioning, so he didn't get to leave anything out. He was hot with embarrassment and Lucy was grinning like it was the best thing she'd ever heard.

"This is hilarious! So Kendall has to take you on five dates and impress you with his boyfriend potential before you're prepared to do the dirty with him? And he agreed to this?"

"Basically, yes. I have no idea why."

James didn't get it. He'd thought Kendall was kidding at first when he suggested dating, so his challenge of five sexless dates was more of a joke than anything else. He'd fully expected Kendall to laugh and then move on.

"Maybe he really likes you." Lucy said, frowning thoughtfully.

"Or maybe he's just not used to being turned down by someone." James shrugged.

"Well, I guess you'll find out soon enough."

"Unless he wakes up this morning and wonders what the hell he was thinking."

James figured that was likely. Kendall could get almost anyone he wanted with his looks and charm. What would he bother holding out for James?

James had admired Kendall from afar when they were at college. Kendall was the sort of person who was hard to ignore. Even if James hadn't had a confusing (at the time) crush on him, he'd have been aware of Kendall and his social circle. Striking, sure of himself, and always the center of attention, Kendall had fascinated James, who felt that he wasn't any of those things.

At first James thought he was interested in Kendall because he admired him. His confidence, his openness, his easy admission of his sexuality, but later James had to admit that there was an attraction there too. As James began to accept that he was more interested in men than women, Kendall was always there in James' mind, gorgeous and tempting but also intimidating. James wasn't ready to go there at the time, so he kept his distance and ignored his feelings.

"James?" Lucy nudged him with her foot, and he realised he'd drifted off while she was still trying to talk to him. "You okay there? You don't have to go through with this if you don't want to. It was just some drunken bet… well, not a bet exactly, but you know what I mean. If you don't want to date Kendall, just text him and tell him."

"No." James replied quickly. "No. I want to try it. I want to give him a chance. I always had a bit of a thing for him when we were students." He admitted.

Lucy smiled, not looking particularly surprised at this tidbit of information. "Aw, that's sweet. And now you get to date your crush, after all this time."

"It's not that big of a deal." James said shyly. Maybe if he said it out loud he'd be able to convince himself it was true. "Plus it was my stupid idea, so it would be rude to back out now. I made the challenge, and he accepted. The ball's in his court."

"And do you think you can resist his legendary charms for five whole dates when you already like him? I can't see Kendall being awfully patient. He strikes me as being an instant-gratification sort of guy."

"I'm sure I'll cope."

But James had to admit he was worried about that. He was fully expecting Kendall to push the boundaries to their limits, and James wasn't sure of his own commitment to the celibacy clause. Yes, he didn't want a one-night stand. But damn it, he'd wanted Kendall for a long time.

This was going to be hard, in more ways than one.

XxX

By Thursday, James had almost given up watching his phone.

He'd been waiting ever since the weekend. He kept telling himself it was too soon, and that Kendall wouldn't be in touch that quickly. But he couldn't stop his heart from leaping every time anyone else texted him.

Then as the days passed, James had started to wonder whether Kendall had changed his mind. Maybe he'd thought better of their stupid plan.

On Thursday afternoon, James' phone finally chimed with a message.

_Hey. Are you still up for our hot date this weekend?_

James forced himself to wait an hour before replying. Petty, maybe, but Kendall had made him wait five days, so James thought he was entitled to make him sweat a little.

_**Sure, where and when?**_

He grinned as his phone rang. Taking personal calls at work wasn't generally encouraged, but fuck it. His boss's door was shut, and none of his colleagues would mind as long as he kept it short.

"Hi, Kendall."

"_Hey, how are you?"_

"Good, thanks. You?"

_Yeah. Not bad." _Kendall replied. There was a short pause. _"I thought it might be easier to make plans for the weekend this way. So when are you free, and what would you like to do?"_

"Ummmm." James drew the sound out, stalling for a moment while his mind raced with the pros and cons of various options. "Saturday afternoon's good for me. How about we just meet for coffee this time?" He thought something low-key would be good.

_"Okay. Anywhere you have in mind?"_

"How about Kopplins near Marshall Avenue?" James suggested. It was good and wasn't too far from where either of them lived.

_"Sounds good. What time?"_ Kendall asked.

"Two thirty?"

_"Okay. I guess I'll see you then."_

"I guess you will. Bye, Kendall."

_"Bye, James."_

After the call ended, James went back to work with a smile on his face. If any on his colleagues noticed, they didn't comment.

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><p><strong>Done! So yeah, we're one chapter closer to the Kames date! <strong>

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter as well as if you had a favorite moment in the chapter! :)**

**The next chapter will be up sometime this weekend. It'll also have Kames' first (possibly last?) date! ;) **

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again everyone! So, I was originally going to wait until this weekend to post this, but I decided to tease you all a bit! :P Before I explain, I'd like to give a huge shout-out/thank you to annabellex2, winterschild11, Chey21, Riku child of Dawn, germanfanfictioner, and child who is cool for reviewing last chapter! **

**So here's the deal, as promised, this chapter will revolve around Kames' first date, but it will be split into two chapters. So this chapter will be part one, and I will be posting part two on Saturday! :) **

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

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><p>On Saturday afternoon, James was feeling nervous, and annoyed with himself because of it.<p>

"For fuck's sake, Jay, you're not some blushing virgin, so why are you acting like one?" He muttered as he shoved a rejected dress shirt back into his closet. A dress shirt was _way _too formal, and it would look as though he was trying too hard.

He walked over to his dresser, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a pile of folded T-shirts. He laid a couple of them out on his bed, trying to decide which looked best with the skinny jeans he'd picked out first. He finally settled on a dark red shirt. It would do, he decided.

When he was dressed and ready to go, James took a final look in the mirror. He fiddled with his hair, combing his fingers through his brunet hair before letting his eyes drift over the rest of him. He looked fine, casual, and comfortable. He knew he especially looked good in his skinny jeans, and he had a feeling Kendall would appreciate. He took a deep breath as he walked out of the door, trying to calm down since he knew that Kendall was likely to be in full-on flirt mode.

XxX

Kendall was already sitting at a corner table by the window when James arrived, a carefully planned few minutes late. The welcome smile that spread across Kendall's face made James' stomach flip. He grinned back, cautiously easing himself through the tight spaces between the tables and chairs until he reached Kendall.

"Hey." James said.

"Hi." Kendall replied, and James tried not to fidget as Kendall's gaze raked over him. When he made it back up to James' eyes, Kendall cleared his throat. "So… um, can I get you a coffee or something?"

"It's okay, I'll go and order." James offered. "I'm already up. You keep the table. What would you like?"

"A gingerbread latte please."

"Anything to eat?"

"No thanks, I kinda just had lunch."

James ordered their drinks at the counter, and when he caught sight of some giant slabs of chocolate brownie, he decided to get one of those too.

He carried his order back on a tray and squeezed into the seat opposite Kendall. Kopplins was popular, and the owners obviously wanted to make use of every available square inch of floor space, so the tables were crammed in close together. Their table for two was tiny, so once James was settled, their knees touched under the table. But James wasn't complaining.

"Thanks." Kendall took his latte and stirred it, then licked the foam off the spoon suggestively.

James watched the flick of Kendall's tongue, and his mind quickly went to dirty places. That was obviously Kendall's intention, because he smirked when he caught James looking.

James' cheeks heated, and he turned his attention to the brownie. He left the plate in the middle of the table but broke off a chunk for himself.

"Help yourself if you want some. I bought it for the both of us." James said before biting off a piece.

Kendall dug in his pocket for some change. "Here, let me give you some cash for my coffee." He said, sliding a few dollar bills towards James.

"Don't be an idiot." James said, pushing them back. "If we're going on five dates, I'm sure it will even up eventually."

"Okay. I'll get the next round." Kendall grinned, and James lost himself in his emerald green eyes until the brush of Kendall's leg shifting against his distracted him.

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. James' stomach felt fluttery with nerves, and he reached for another piece of brownie to give him something to do. Kendall apparently had the same idea, and their fingers bumped. That broke the tension as they both chuckled.

"This feels weird." Kendall said. "As you know, I'm not used to doing the whole dating thing. I'm sorry if I'm crap at it."

"Don't worry. I haven't really done much of it either." James admitted.

"So…" Kendall flicked a stray strand of blond hair out of his eyes. "We have some catching up to do. Let's start there. What have you been doing since we graduated?"

"Well, I didn't have a permanent job lined up, so I stayed here for a few weekds before moving out to California." James started, pausing to eat a chunk of brownie before continuing. "I started off temping at different places, then I just started travelling around. I didn't really know what I wanted to do for a while. Anyway, I did that for about a year until I finally landed a job here. So, how about you? You've been in Minnesota this whole time, right?"

Kendall nodded. "Yeah. I stayed in the house with Carlos because I had a job to start right away."

"What is it you do again?"

"I'm basically a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company."

"That makes sense."

"What?" Kendall frowned.

"You, being a salesman. I can imagine you using your powers of persuasion.:

Kendall chuckled. "Oh, yeah. I suppose it suits me. All the driving is kind of a pain though, but at least I get a car out of it."

"Really?" James asked.

"Yeah. Well, technically it's a company car, but I get to keep it and use it when I'm not working."

The two of them continued talking and catching up, and eventually, they had both finished their drinks and there was just a few crumbs left on the plate between them. James licked his finger and pressed it down on the crumbs before transferring them to his mouth. He repeated the action, just noticing that Kendall was watching him. He deliberately licked his finger clean, enjoying the slightly glazed look on Kendall's face. James raised his eyebrows.

Kendall grinned, caught but unembarrassed. "Good thing you picked a cafe for our first date, or I'd already be trying to climb into your lap."

James felt a prickle of heat sweep through him at the thought of it. He imagined the feel of Kendall's legs wrapped around his waist and how Kendall would look, smiling down at James with his blonde hair all messy from James' hands and his lips wet from kissing.

_Fuck!_

James definitely wasn't moving out from behind this table for a while. His face burned hot as he tried to will away his erection and cursed his vivid imagination.

"Do you want another drink? It's my round." Thankfully Kendall seemed unaware of James' predicament.

"Yes, please." James said, happy for a chance to calm down while Kendall went to order. "Can I have a cup of tea this time?"

"Sure. Normal tea? Or green?"

"Normal, please."

"Alright. And should I get more cake?"

"I can always manage more cake."

"Anything in particular?"

"No. I'm not really picky. Surprise me."

"Okay." Kendall said with a smile.

James watched as Kendall went to order. There was a bit of a line, and James enjoyed the opportunity to study Kendall while he had his back to James. Kendall was couple inches shorter than James, maybe about five eleven to James' six one, and slightly slimmer too, all slim and lean where James had a little more muscle on him. But he was still well proportioned and, well… beautiful and sexy at the same time.

As Kendall reached the counter and turned, JAmes could see his profile. He watched as Kendall spoke to the lady serving him, gesturing to the display of cakes. As she turned away to get something, Kendall glanced around at James and caught him staring. His face split in a grin, warm and easy but mischievous too.

James' cheeks heated as he smiled back, embarrassed at being caught, but fuck it. They were on a date, after all. Kendall knew James was interested, even if he wanted to take things slowly. There was no shame in being caught ogling.

Kendall returned to the table with two cups of tea, and a plate with two scones with jam and cream on the side.

They continued talking while splitting the scones in half, then piling as much jam and cream as they could fit on them. James' first half started falling apart as he was halfway through eating it, so he had to shove what was left in his mouth all in one go, trying to catch the crumbs with his spare hand.

When he looked up, Kendall was laughing at him. James glares, his mouth too full to speak, and he had to fight back his own laughter otherwise he would have choked.

"Classy." Kendall said, still chuckling.

But James had gotten his revenge when Kendall had exactly the same trouble and even managed to drop some cream on his jeans. He dabbed off as much of it as he could with a napkin, but it still showed.

"Shit. It looks like someone's jizzed on me." He complained.

"Yeah, it kind of does."

Kendall raised his head and stared at James' mouth. "Well, I don't know why you're smirking, because you look like someone's jizzed on your face."

"What? Where?" James asked, wiping at his mouth.

"Yeah. You nearly got it. There's still a bit stuck in the corner, though." Kendall said, raising a finger to point at his own lips. ""No, the other side. Yep, that's it."

James licked at the corner of his mouth, watching Kendall's eyes follow the movement of his tongue. Kendall looked hungry, and not for the other half of his scone that was still sitting on the plate. James felt a thrill as he saw the heat in Kendall's gaze, and he couldn't resist teasing him a little.

"Four more dates, and it might be the real thing." He said, holding Kendall's gaze as he licked his lips again.

"Fucking hell." Kendall groaned. "Are you trying to kill me?"

James smiled innocently and picked up his tea.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So there you have it! I'm such a tease, and apparently, so is James! :P<strong>

**Next chapter will be shorter, but will contain the rest of their date! I'm really excited about it. I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that you will see a different side of both Kendall and James.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as any guesses as to what might happen next! ;)**

**As I've said, next chapter will be up Saturday, and I'm also hoping to update either Haunted or On Your Side this weekend, although I'm leaning more towards On Your Side since I haven't updated that in about a month :)**

**Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Time for part two! Before we get started, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to winterschild11, annabellex2, No-Emotions-To-Cry, Chey21, germanfanfictioner, and child who is cool for reviewing last chapter!**

**I'm glad you all are liking the teasing and Kames' interactions! ;)**

**This chapter pretty much continues where the last one left off. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p>When the plate was clean and they were down to their last bit of tea, Kendall asked the question that James had been expecting to pop up at some point.<p>

"So what happened with you while you were away to make you come out? And why weren't you out before?"

James stared into his nearly empty cup as though he were looking for answers there. "I wasn't completely sure before I left here, although I had a pretty good idea."

His cheeks heated a bit. James wasn't ready to admit that Kendall had been a major catalyst in his realization of his sexuality. He'd wondered before, but he hadn't been sure. Girls tended to throw themselves at him, and they'd been a bit of a distraction.

He hadn't wanted to look too closely at the part of himself that looked at other guys in a way he knew wasn't really appropriate for a straight guy. It had been easier to assume he was straight and run with that until he got to know Kendall. Kendall was so sure of himself he made being gay look easy. James had envied his certainty and confidence.

"When I lived in California, I was still hooking up with girls. I hadn't done much with guys at all. But when I started travelling around, it felt like a fresh start. Especially since I was in a place where nobody knew me."

"And you were ready to explore that side of yourself?" Kendall asked, his tone serious.

"Yes."

"I get it. For me it was like that coming here. I just worked things out a little earlier than you, I guess."

James nodded, meeting Kendall's eyes again and seeing something softer there than he was used to. All of Kendall's usual teasing flirtiness was gone, and his attention was utterly focused on James. It made something flutter in James' chest.

"Did you ever have a boyfriend while you were away?"

"Not really. I mean, there were a couple of guys I hooked up with more than once. But it never turned into anything serious."

"And you're not looking for one-night stands anymore." It wasn't a question.

"No."

It wasn't that the one-night stands hadn't been fun sometimes. But James had enjoyed the connection with guys he'd spent more time with, and after a while, the one-night hookups had left him feeling like he was missing out on something.

But James didn't want to articulate that to Kendall, the king of one-nighters. He didn't want to come across as boring, or judgmental and disapproving, because he wasn't. But he knew what he wanted, and it was to find someone he could have something more meaningful than just sex with.

"Look," James said, knotting his hands together on the table. "I don't want to put any pressure on you here. I didn't think that you'd take me seriously when I suggested this dating thing, deal, challenge, whatever you want to call it, and if you'd rather not bother, then I won't be offended."

Kendall's brow furrowed, and James searched his face, trying to work out what he was thinking. Then Kendall slid his hand across the table and brushed his fingertips over James' knuckles where they were clenched tight.

"I'm here aren't I?" Kendall asked softly, his touch giving James goosebumps. "I want to try this. Besides, next time I call my mom, I can tell her I'm dating a 'nice boy.'" Kendall took his hand back to make air quotes. "It'll make her year."

James laughed. "I'm not always nice."

Kendall gave him a flirty grin. "That's what I'm hoping."

XxX

When a waitress came to clear their table, the took it as their cue to leave. James wouldn't have minded prolonging their date, but he couldn't have managed anything else to eat or drink, and maybe it was best to quit while they were ahead. It had been good, he thought. Kendall had been fun to talk to, and there was definitely attraction on both sides. James was looking forward to exploring the chemistry between them.

They walked together for a little bit before heading back to their cars.

"Well that was fun." Kendall said.

"Yeah, it was."

"You up for another date next weekend?"

Kendall seemed a little nervous to hear James' response, and James was quick to smile and nod. "Yes, definitely."

"Any ideas on what you'd like to do? And is Saturday good for you again?"

"Not really." James shrugged. "And yeah, Saturday's fine."

"Okay. Keep it free, and I'll text you or call you, and we can work it out."

"Are you gonna make me wait until Thursday next week?" James asked with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was worried you were going to say no." Kendall chuckled. "Anyway, you can always call me instead."

James nodded as they stood there for a moment, looking at each other.

James finally broke the awkward silence. "Okay. I'll see you next Saturday then?"

Kendall nodded. "Definitely. Thanks for today."

He stepped forward and gave James a quick hug and the barest brush of lips on his cheek. He pulled back before James could do more than bring a hand up to touch Kendall's shoulder.

James blinked, feeling his cheeks heat, and when he looked at Kendall, Kendall was pink-cheeked too.

"So, uh… I'll see you later." Kendall said before turning and hurrying to his car.

"Bye, Kendall." James called after him, letting out a sigh before heading to his own car.

His phone buzzed in his pocket a few minutes later.

_**See. No waiting until Thursday next week ;)**_

James grinned, and another text from Kendall popped up before he could reply.

_**I wanna kiss you properly next time**_

James' smile stretched even wider, and a bubble of happiness expanded in his chest.

_Sounds good to me, _he replied.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So there you have it! Kames' first date looked to be a success!<strong>

**Next chapter will kinda focus on the aftermath of their first date and lead into their second!**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter as well as if you had a favorite moment from their first date!**

**P.S. There is a poll up on my page as well as an Author's Note that I posted regarding my older stories. I would love if it if you all could go and check it out! The poll is basically just asking which story you would like to see me continue first :)**

**Next chapter should be up within the next few days so until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello everyone! In honor of Valentine's Day, I have a new chapter ready for you all! But before we get started, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to these readers for reviewing!**

**germanfanfictioner**

**annabellex2**

**winterschild11**

**child who is cool**

**Guest**

**No Emotions To Cry**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**Chey21**

**jhansikirani17025**

**Again, thank you all SO much for reviewing! I also would like to thank you all for supporting me and allowing me to take risks and try different things with my stories :) **

**This chapter contains a pretty big moment, but that's all I'll say ;)**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

><p>When Kendall got home, the smell of frying onions, garlic, and spices was wafting down the hallway. He followed the scent to the kitchen and found Logan stirring something in a saucepan. Carlos was sitting at the kitchen table chopping peppers.<p>

Carlos looked up as Kendall walked in. "Hey. How did the date go?"

"I think it went pretty well." Kendall said, trying to hold back a smile, but he couldn't stop his lips from curling as he thought about James. He pulled out a chair and joined Carlos at the table.

Carlos narrowed his eyes. "You look very smug for someone who just sat around drinking coffee all afternoon. Did you blow him on the toilet or something?" He asked teasingly.

"Fuck off." Kendall rolled his eyes. "In a cafe, in the middle of the afternoon? Give me some credit. Anyway, you know the score. I was hardly likely to wear him down on a first date, but I'm still hoping I might not have to wait for all five. I kissed him goodbye though."

"With tongue?"

"No. Just on the cheek."

"Aww." Carlos fluttered his hand on his chest and pretended to swoon. "Look at my boy being all sweet and romantic. I never thought I'd see the day."

Kendall nabbed a piece of pepper off the chopping board and threw it at him, sticking his tongue out.

"Seriously though," Logan cut in. "It was good? You're seeing him again next weekend?"

"Yes, and yes."

Carlos punched Kendal lightly on the arm, not teasing this time. "That's great. Have you got an plans for what to do yet? Maybe you should try something romantic next time. Impress him."

"I've got an idea I'm considering, but I haven't decided yet." Kendall said before changing the subject. "So, what are you cooking, Loges? Is this a romantic dinner for two or are you making enough for me?"

"Chicken enchiladas, and sure, I can make enough for three. I wasn't sure when you'd be back from your date."

"Thanks. Need any help?"

"No, I think we've got it under control. But you can get me another bottle of water."

"Oh yeah, me too, please." Carlos said before drinking the little bit that was left in front of him. "If you're getting one for Logie."

XxX

Kendall texted James on Monday evening. He had a plan and wanted to make arrangements before James suggested anything for the weekend.

_**Hey, are you free on Saturday afternoon again? And maybe evening too?**_

Kendall waited anxiously for James' reply. It came about half an hour later.

_Yes, and evening is ok too._

Kendall did a mental fist pump. _**Meet me in the Watershed cafe at 3?**_

_Ok, where are we going?_

_**Wait and see**__, _Kendall replied

XxX

They had no contact for the rest of the week, but on Saturday morning, Kendall got a text from James.

_Prob a silly question, but does it matter what I wear?_

_**Clothes :P**_

James replied with, _Well duh. I didn't think Watershed had a clothing optional policy._

Kendall chuckled and texted back. _**Seriously? Wear whatever you like, we're not going anywhere fancy.**_

_Ok, see you later._

XxX

Kendall was relieved the weather was dry and bright, and surprisingly warm. His plans would have been less fun if it was pouring down with rain.

He got to the Watershed just before three. He couldn't see James there yet, so he went up to the bar to order a coffee for himself. As the guy behind the bar was fiddling with the coffee machine, a hand touched Kendall's shoulder.

"Hey, sorry, am I late?"

"Nope." Kendall said as he turned. "I was early. Hi."

They grinned at each other for a moment, and Kendall enjoyed the rush of excitement that James inspired in him. He wanted to kiss him, but he wasn't sure how he would respond. If Kendall had anything to do with it, there was definitely going to be kissing later today.

No sex was one thing, but he needed a little contact. He wanted to find out if the sparks he felt in James' presence would ignite the way he hoped when they touched one another. And if they did… then maybe James could be persuaded to get dirty with Kendall a little sooner than planned.

"Have you already ordered?" James asked.

"Yeah, but I haven't paid yet, so I can get you something too. What do you want?"

When they'd got their order, they found a table and sat.

"So, are you going to tell me what we're doing this afternoon?" James asked.

Kendall felt a twinge of nerves, wondering if his idea would fall flat.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. But I remember what you said during our last date about liking cars and engines and stuff… so I thought maybe we could go and see the SS Great Britain exhibit, unless you've seen it before?" Kendall said, getting a little nervous when James didn't respond. "I know it's not exactly a car engine, but I thought you might like it."

"Actually, that sounds pretty rad. I would love to see it!" James' enthusiasm was clearly genuine. "But… won't it be boring for you?"

"No. I've actually been before. Logan dragged me there one weekend and it was actually pretty cool. I'd like to see it again."

"Great." James' knee nudged Kendall's under the table, and James let it stay there.

Kendall smiled and raised his coffee cup for a sip. "And are you okay to hang out later too? I thought we could go somewhere to eat after."

"Yeah, sure."

XxX

The SS Great Britain exhibit was a big success. Even Kendall had forgotten had forgotten how interesting it was. When Logan made him go before, he'd expected it to be boring. But the way it was all set up hooked him, and he ended up reading all the stuff on display and really getting into it.

They took their time because James wanted to see everything. Kendall enjoyed watching him in the museum section they walked through first. He read over the history of the ship and studied the old photographs of her. Kendall had read it all before, so he spent more time looking at James, enjoying his enthusiasm and feeling more than a little smug at the success of the venue he'd picked for their date.

As they stood looking at one of the displays, their arms brushed. Kendall's heart rate picked up as he felt James' fingers curl around his own and squeeze.

"This is cool." James' voice was low and warm. "Thanks for bringing me here."

Kendall squeezed back. "No problem. I'm glad it's a hit."

They released each other's hands as they moved on, but the warm feeling in Kendall's chest persisted.

Kendall's plans were vague for the evening, but he hoped that after dinner there would ample opportunity for kissing if they walked back together in the dark.

He was surprised at his own eagerness for something as simple as a kiss. It was alien to him to have romantic feelings for someone. Maybe this taking-it-slow business wasn't so bad after all. Or maybe James was getting under Kendall's skin. Either way, Kendall was buzzing with a strange and unfamiliar kind of energy. He felt unsettled but excited too.

It was busy at the exhibit when they first arrived, but as they progressed, it got more quiet. Especially as they made their way to makeshift cabins.

James had to stoop to get through the doorways when they went to look inside the cabins.

"I wouldn't have enjoyed spending a long time on board this ship." James said, rubbing the back of his head after misjudging the height of one of the doorways. "I'd have had a permanent bruise on my head, or a cricked neck from stooping all the time."

"Better for shorties like me." Kendall agreed.

"Oh come on, you're not short. You're only a couple inches shorter than me. Even you would have trouble sleeping on one of those." James pointed to one of the bunks.

He was right. There was no way an average-sized man would have been able to stretch out in one.

As they left that cabin, James led the way into the next and then stopped abruptly with a gasp. Kendall bumped into him. He put his hands on James' shoulders and peered over to see what had caused this reaction, then chuckled.

"Creepy, aren't they?" He met the blank eyes of a waxwork model dressed in Victorian clothing. "They scared the crap out of me the first time I came here."

"It was the one in the bunk that made me jump." James replied. "It looks like a dead body."

He turned, and Kendall suddenly realised how close they were as his hands dropped away from James' shoulders. The cabin was tiny, and James was right there, all big, gorgeous, and looking at Kendall with something in his eyes that Kendall recognised, because he felt it too.

Kendall made the first move, bringing a hand up to touch James' cheek. But James was the one who dipped his head to close the gap and press their lips kiss was soft and mostly chaste. But the touch of James' lips sent a jolt of want through Kendall that was so strong, his knees felt momentarily wobbly.

He parted his lips to taste James and slid his hand around the back of James' neck, holding him close. But then the sound of running footsteps and childrens voices approaching made them break apart, both grinning and flushed.

"More of that later?" Kendall suggested.

James nodded. "Yeah."

He looked a little dazed. Kendall was glad it wasn't just him who felt that way.

"Come on, let's keep going. Otherwise we won't have time to see it all before they close."

Kendall led the way, with James on his heels as they passed a group of kids and a dad with a baby in a carrier. The kids shrieked and giggled when they found the figures in the cabin.

Kendall and James had made their way outside on a makeshift deck that had been built as part of the exhibit. It was still sunny but cooler now that the sun was low in the sky. The breeze had picked up while they'd been indoors, and Kendall wished he'd brought a hat or an extra layer. They stood and looked out over the railings. A gust of wind made Kendall pop up the collar of his jacket as he tried to suppress a shiver.

"Are you cold?" James asked as he moved closer so their shoulders were pressed together.

"Yeah." Kendall admitted. "I always have issues with the temperature this time of year. The sun comes out, and I forget it can still be chilly in the evenings. It's my eternal optimism."

James chuckled. "Optimism is good. But I think we're done here. Are you ready to move on?"

"Sure. Are you hungry yet? Or do you wanna go somewhere for a drink before we eat?"

"Maybe a drink first, but I'm easy."

Kendall snorted. "No, you're not. Mr. Five Dates Before We Fuck."

He was only teasing, but when he glanced sideways, James' face had pulled into a frown.

"Yeah, I know it was a stupid idea." He said. "I feel like an idiot about it already."

A spike of unexpected guilt shot through Kendall. He turned and put out a hand to cover James' where he was gripping the railing.

"Hey," He said lightly, waiting till James turned to meet his eyes. "Okay, so maybe at first it seemed like a stupid idea. But you know? After one-and-a-half dates, it's not looking so bad."

James looked uncertain. "Really?"

"Yeah." Kendall squeezed James' hand. "I mean… I'm not saying it'll be easy. But this dating thing is kind of fun."

And Kendall meant it, even if he was still going to try and persuade James to hurry things along a little, because he was crap at being patient.

"Good."

It was quiet out on the deck now and nobody seemed to be paying any attention to them. So Kendall stretched up and pressed a kiss to James' cheek, not able to contain his own smile when James gave him a small smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! A little fun fact, I went to an exhibit on the SS Great Britain a couple months ago and used that to write this chapter :) <strong>

**So, Kames had their first real kiss! And if you think that was good, you're going to flip when you read the next chapter ;) **

**So, of course, more Kames adorableness. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter as well as if you had a favorite moment!**

**Next chapter will contain the second half of Kames' date and will be up within the next few days!**

**P.S. For those interested, I'm working on the next chapter of Clarity, as well as the next chapters of Haunted and On Your Side so hopefully I'll be able to update all of those soon!**

**Until next time!**

**Happy Valentines Day!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with another chapter! As always, I'd like to give a huge shout-out/thank you to these readers for reviewing last chapter!**

**winterschild11**

**germanfanfictioner**

**Guest**

**annabellex2**

**jhansikirani17025**

**No-Emotions-To-Cry**

**child who is cool**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing and for your support!**

**I'm glad you all enjoying the story so far! I love writing James and Kendall like this since they're both different from how I usually write then :)**

**I must warn you all that this chapter gets a little... heated. In more ways than one. You'll see what I mean.**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

><p>After they left the SS Great Britain, they stopped at a bar for a quick drink, but the smell of the food being served there made both of them realize they were hungry.<p>

"Do you want to eat here?" Kendall asked. "The food looks pretty good, but there was a place I wanted to take you to. It's an all-you-can-eat style place. It's set up like a food market, and it's massive inside. There's literally every sort of food you can think of, Indian, Chinese, sushi, pizza, burgers… it's amazing."

"That sounds like fun." James patted his stomach. "You're making me even more hungry just thinking about it. Drink up, and then we can head over."

XxX

They had no trouble getting a table since it was still relatively early, and they ordered more to drink. They gravitated towards the Asian food, in Kendall's opinion it was the best stuff there, although it was all pretty good.

As they ate, they talked about their families. They hadn't known each other well enough in college to know those kinds of personal details, so they filled each other in on their parents and siblings and what their upbringing had been like.

Kendall was close to his mom and sister, but he'd never had a good relationship with his dad. It had been almost a relief when he'd moved out when Kendall was thirteen. They'd clashed over everything, and Kendall had felt like a constant source of disappointment. He wasn't sporty enough, wasn't masculine enough, wasn't interested in girls when he should've been.

He was interested in guys, of course, but he kept that quiet until he was eighteen. When he came out, shortly before he left home to go to college, it was no big surprise to his dad, but it hammered another nail in the coffin of their relationship. Kendall didn't see much of him these days, and that suited him fine.

"Do you go back home to visit often?" James asked.

"Yeah, I try and get back there every few weeks. My mom likes to have a gathering on a Sunday sometimes, cooks a nice meal and has me and my sister home for it."

"Yeah. My mom likes it when she manages to get the family back." James said. "It only usually happens at Christmas these days with my brother Shane up in New York now."

"Is it just the two of you?"

"Yes." James nodded. "He's actually my twin brother. He was born a few minutes before me, which, according to him makes him the oldest."

"Do you guys get along?"

"Mostly. We fought a lot when we were younger, the usual sibling bickering, you know how it is."

Kendall chuckled his agreement. He might be close to his sister now, but they'd had their moments while they were growing up.

"We get along pretty well these days, but with him being up in New York, I don't get to see much of him."

"How did your family take you coming out?"

"They were great. I wasn't too worried about telling them. I knew they'd be okay. I just wanted to be sure I was ready before I did. You can't really take it back once it's out there, can you?"

"True."

James picked up his beer bottle and drank. Kendall admired the bob of his throat as he swallowed. James caught him looking as he put his drink back down and smiled. Kendall wanted to kiss him again, but he settled for smiling back and nudging James' knee with his own under the table.

"Have you got room for more food?" Kendall asked. Their plates were empty now.

"Seems a shame not to try a few more things. I want to try the pizza, and maybe get a couple more of those spring rolls."

Xxx

After they'd eaten, they decided to take a walk before heading home, since it wasn't far for either of them. They were both full after being unable to resist a third trip around the buffet, and a bit of exercise and fresh air seemed like a good idea.

"Do you want to stop here?" James asked after walking for almost an hour.

"We can keep going. It's not much of a detour."

Plus, the streets up ahead were quieter and darker, and Kendall had plans that required a little more privacy than they'd get if they headed back past all the bars and fast-food joints.

He hesitantly took James hand in his as they walked, reassured when he laced their fingers together. They made their way up the dark streets away from the loud streets behind them and through the quieter residential streets.

It was a lovely evening, a little chilly, but the wind had dropped again, and Kendall was warm from both the beer and walking for so long. But with James' hand wrapped warmly around his, Kendall wasn't in a hurry to part ways.

"Here, let's walk through the park." Kendall said suddenly, cutting through the silence.

He tugged on James' hand, steering him away from the road and down a path that led to a grassy, tree-lined space with a children's play area at the bottom of a dip.

"Oh, I see where this is going." James said, glancing sideways at Kendall.

The dim orange light from the street lamps was just enough for Kendall to see his expression of amusement.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kendall tried, and failed, to sound innocent. "I like parks at night. They're peaceful."

"And secluded."

"And swings are cool, and people glare at you if you use them in the daytime when you're twenty-three years old and don't have any kids with you."

James' laughed. "Ah, we're here for the swings. Of course. But won't they be too small for us?"

"Nope. They've got ones here that are meant for big kids, like me."

Kendall wasn't lying when he said he liked swings. So that was where they went, finally breaking their grip on each other's hands so they could take a swing each.

"I haven't been on a swing in years." James said a little breathlessly once they'd gotten a rhythm going and were swooping in a high arc. "This is awesome."

Kendall whooped as his swing reached its highest point and then dropped again, leaving him with a lurch of excitement and adrenaline. "Yeah." He agreed. "Told you. Swings are cool."

They got competitive, each trying to outdo the other until they tired of it and let them slow down gradually until they were rocking gently, their feet back on the ground.

"So you really did bring me here to swing." James said, a hint of guilt in his voice. "I feel bad for suspecting ulterior motives now."

Kendall smiled to himself, not sure whether James could make out his expression in the almost darkness. "Well, there _are _other things we could do?"

There was a short pause.

"Is there?" James asked, sounding a little amused.

Taking that as permission, Kendall left his swing and moved to stand in front of James', just as James' swing drifted gently forwards. Their knees bumped, and Kendall caught the chains of the swing, holding them there.

"Hey." Kendall said, grinning down at James, who returned the smile.

Kendall let go of the chains and let James swing backwards, but when he swung back, Kendall caught him again.

"Tease." James huffed.

"Not this time."

Kendall leaned down and kissed him, gently at first. But when he tried to draw back, James made a muffled noise of protest and brought a hand up to tangle in Kendall's hair, keeping him there and deepening the kiss. Kendall smiled against James' mouth and opened up, letting James' tongue touch his own. But the angle was awkward with Kendall needing to bend to reach James properly. He disentangled himself for a moment.

"Hang on, this isn't very comfortable, let me…"

He pushed James back again, so James was standing more than sitting now. His feet were on the ground, but the seat of the swing stopped him from falling backwards as Kendall pressed up against him, fitting his hips between James' parted thighs and resuming the kiss with even more intensity.

James hummed into Kendall's mouth and put his hands on his hips, pulling him closer, and Kendall's groin tingled with a rush of blood as it came into contact with James'. He was getting hard fast and suspected James was too. He couldn't resist finding out, so he pushed a little against James until he felt an answering hardness against his.

Hungry for more, Kendall broke away from James' lips and kissed his way down his neck. He breathed in the mix of man, and skin, and a hint of shower gel, and stopped to enjoy it for a moment, licking and kissing gently so that he wouldn't leave marks where they'd show.

James' breathing was ragged. One of his hands was in Kendall's hair again, massaging Kendall's scalp with his fingertips and sending delicious sensations down Kendall's spine that only increased his arousal.

"Fuck, that's good." James murmured, and his throat vibrated under Kendall's tongue.

Kendall drew back and grinned. "Yeah."

But he didn't want to waste time talking when they could be kissing, so he cupped James' face in both hands and smashed their lips together again, messier this time with a dirty grind of hips.

It was quiet in the park . The noise of the city was a low hum that barely intruded on the wet sounds of their kisses and the rasp of their breathing. They were making out like teenagers, all urgency and desperation but not leading anywhere. God, how Kendall wished it was. His cock was aching to be stroked or sucked, and from the way James was clutching greedily at Kendall, he seemed pretty horny too.

James had both hands on Kendall's ass now, squeezing and pulling him closer. Kendall suddenly realized that he was close to coming and was almost at the point of not even caring and walking back to his car with wet underwear. But the roar of a car, gunning fast along the quiet road beside the park, made the startle and break the kiss.

They were breathing hard, and James' face was slack and glazed in the dim light, his mouth shiny with spit. Kendall imagined James dropping to his knees and letting Kendall push his cock slowly between those lips.

When the car had passed, James reached for Kendall again. But Kendall stopped him with a firm hand on his chest.

"Unless you want me to break our no-jizz rule, we need to stop. Because I'm about thirty seconds away from coming in my pants if we carry on like this."

James sighed. "Yeah, good point."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"I guess it's time to head back, then?" James said.

Kendall slid his hand from James' firm chest to the bulge in his jeans and cupped it.

"Are you sure you don't want to invite me in, for coffee?"

He rubbed the hard line of James' erection with the heel of his hand. God, he felt good. Kendall wanted to see it, to touch his skin, to taste him.

But James gripped Kendall's wrist and pulled his hand away. "We had a deal, remember?"

"Deals are made to be broken." Kendall said before trying to reach down again, but James squeezed Kendall's wrist hard, keeping his hand away from it's goal.

"That's not even an expression." James' voice was firm. "And I meant it when I said I don't just want to be a casual fuck. I know it might seem stupid or prudish to you, but I'm not taking you home tonight."

Kendall felt his cheeks flush hot in the cool air as guilt washed over him.

"I'm sorry." He said roughly. "I just…" He started, but all his excuses sounded pathetic in his head. "Sorry." He said again."

"It's okay." James said, his voice flat as he released Kendall's wrist and eased off the swing to stand. "It's no big deal."

Kendall walked with James back to their cars, but the mood had definitely soured, and Kendall was angry with himself for ruining what had been a really great evening until he pushed James too far. But they still agreed to keep next Saturday free for another date.

"Are you sure you want to?" James asked.

Kendall couldn't read his face, his expression didn't give much away, his voice was flat and his jaw was tight. Kendall's stomach lurched as he wondered if James was having second thoughts about this whole thing.

"I do if you do." He responded.

Kendall wasn't a quitter, and damn it, he wanted James. He could be patient if he had to. And after they'd had their five dates? Well… who knew how either of them would be feeling then. But there was no point worrying about that until it came to it.

"Okay. Next Saturday, then."

They gave each other a quick hug, but there was no more kissing.

Kendall missed it already.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So... yeah, that happened. <strong>

**How adorable are Kames?! You know... up until they decided to kind of got at it :P**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, as well as if you had a favorite moment!**

**Next chapter may not be up until this weekend, but it'l kinda pick up where this one left off. **

**Anyways, time to start working on my other stories! I'm hoping to finally update a couple of them this weekend! :)**

**Until then! **

**-Epically Obsessed **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Time for another new chapter! But before we get to that, I'd liek to give a huge shout-out/thank you to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**Guest**

**annabellex2**

**winterschild11**

**No-Emotions-To-Cry**

**child who is cool**

**Chey21**

**germanfanfictioner**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**jhansikirani17025**

**Kames777**

**Again, thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm glad you all are enjoying the Kames' interactions as well as their dates so far! :)**

**This chapter is a little shorted and is more of a filler, but the next couple chapters will revolve around their third date!**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

><p>James was feeling flat when he got home. He went straight to his room, avoiding the living room where he could hear the sound of the TV. He wasn't in the mood for a date examination with Lucy right now, and he knew she'd be relentless in quizzing him for details. He was a little horny but mostly irritable. Annoyed with Kendall for being so pushy, but also with himself for turning Kendall down, and that didn't make any sense. He couldn't have it both ways.<p>

He stripped down to his boxers and T-shirt and got into bed. He found himself getting hard as he thought about Kendall grinding against him at the park. It would have been so easy for them to have carried on until they came, or stroked each other off there in the darkness. And God… it would have been hot. James slipped his hand under the waistband of his boxers and sighed as he began to stroke himself.

He was just getting into a nice rhythm, which would be guaranteed to get him off fast, when his phone buzzed on the nightstand.

"Shit." He muttered, torn between ignoring it and looking to see who the message was from. But the distraction had pulled him out of his fantasy anyway, so he reached across with his free hand to grab his phone.

_**Thanks for a fun night, sorry I spoiled it at the end.**_

Kendall. A smile crept over James' face.

He took his hand out from under the waistband of his boxers, quickly washing his hands before settling back down into bed and typing out a reply.

_It's okay, you didn't. It was good._

He waited to see if Kendall would reply again. He didn't have to wait long.

_**Really?**_

James huffed in amusement. It wasn't like Kendall to sound so unsure of himself.

_Really. _He paused,then typed. _Maybe a little too good._

The reply was almost instant.

_**?**_

James grinned, considering for a moment. Then he gave into the urge for mischief. Kendall wanted dirty? He could have dirty. But it was going to be on James' terms.

_Yeah. You got me all riled up. _He pressed send, then immediately added. _I was dealing but then you interrupted…_

_**Fuck**_ came the reply. Then, _**Don't let me stop you. In fact, I might join in.**_

James' cock jerked at that, as if in protest at not being touched.

_Sounds like a plan, _he managed. And then he put his phone down beside him, stripped his T-shirt off and turned his attention back to his neglected groin.

It was an embarrassingly short amount of time before James shot all over his stomach and chest to mental images of Kendall doing exactly the same thing. As he was wiping himself clean with his discarded T-shirt and getting his breath back, his phone buzzed again.

_**Well that didn't take long**_

James chuckled. _Same, _he replied.

Kendall's next reply took a little longer.

_**Does this violate the no orgasms rule? Is the challenge now officially fucked? (Pun intended)**_

_No, I guess this doesn't count. _James typed back. _Orgasms ok as long as we're not together._

_**So… where do you stand on phone sex? **_Kendall shot back.

James blinked at the screen. Phone sex sounded interesting. He'd never tried that, and it might be fun. But he couldn't resist teasing Kendall a bit.

_I don't know. But I might be open to persuasion ;) Night Kendall_

_**Night :)**_

XxX

The subject of phone sex didn't come up again that week. But they did text each other quite a bit, sometimes rather suggestively. But on Wednesday evening, Kendall phoned James while he was doing some push-ups in the living room after he'd been out for a run.

James was out of breath when he answered. "Hey."

"_Hi. Did I interrupt something?" _Kendall asked, and James was suddenly very aware of how loudly he was breathing.

James laughed. "Only push-ups. Sorry to disappoint."

"_Damn. Well… I can use my imagination instead, because you sound a lot like you might if I'd caught you doing something more… interesting."_

"So what did you want, Kendall?" James asked. His muscles were stiff and tired, and he was in dire need of a hot shower, so he wasn't really in the mood for talking.

"_I was thinking about Saturday. You're all outdoorsy and stuff, aren't you? What do think of a walk up a hill just outside of town and then dinner somewhere before we drive back?"_

"That… sounds really great." James replied, sounding more than a little excited.

"_Okay." _Kendall sounded pleased with himself. _"I'll pick you up after lunch on Saturday then, at about two o'clock, if that's okay?"_

"Sure."

"_I'm at the store, and I'm nearly at the front of the line now, so I'll let you get back to your push-ups, if that's what you were really doing."_

"I'm in the living room, and Lucy's home. I'm definitely not doing anything other than push-ups." James chuckled before lowering his voice a little. "But maybe I will in the shower in a few minutes."

"_Nice." _Kendall replied, even though it sounded a little strained. _"I'm totally imagining that scenario now, just so you know. And that's not at all helpful in a public place."_

"Sorry."

"_You don't sound sorry at all."_

"Huh, imagine that. Bye, Kendall."

James ended the call before Kendall could reply, chuckling at the thought of a flustered Kendall at the store checkout.

XxX

James was ready and waiting when Kendall rang the doorbell Saturday afternoon. When he opened the door, Kendall looked him up and down and grinned.

"I'm digging the boy scout look you've got going for you."

James quirked an eyebrow. "At least I'm appropriately dressed for hill walking." He looked pointedly at Kendall's skinny jeans and Vans.

"These will do fine." Kendall shrugged. "It's not like we're going anywhere adventurous. Nice legs, by the way."

James was wearing cargo shorts, which showed off his knees and calves perfectly. But still, he ignored the comment and followed Kendall out to his car.

"What's in the bag?" Kendall asked as he opened the trunk for James to put the small backpack he was carrying.

"A couple of water bottles, suntan lotion, a waterproof jacket, just in case, and a few snacks."

"Snacks? Awesome. Are there some for me?"

"Hmm." James pretended to consider it. "I suppose I can share."

He got in the passenger seat, his feet rustling on discarded chip bags and chocolate wrappers.

"Sorry it's such a mess in here." Kendall said as he started the engine. "I'm in the car so much of my day with all the travelling for my job. It always ends up full of crap."

"It's okay." James said as Kendall put the car in gear and pulled out. "So where are we going then? Is it far?"

"You'll see. It's not far. About an hour away." Kendall replied. "There's a nice walk up one of the hills just outside of town. It's actually on the way to my hometown. And there's a good bar near there too, for food after."

"Sounds fun. Do you need me to map read or anything?"

"Nah. I know it like the back of my hand." Kendall glanced sideways and flashed James a grin.

As the couple drove to their destination, they talked a little more about nothing and everything until Kendall spotted their destination.

"See that hill over there?" Kendall pointed. "That's where we're headed."

James looked at the hill where it rose out of the surrounding farmland, steep sided and wooded on the slopes.

"It's beautiful. Looks like a good walk."

"Perfect day for it too." Kendall replied. "I don't think you'll be needing that waterproof."

It certainly looked as if the weather was perfect. Not a dark cloud in sight.

"Yeah, I'll leave it in the car, save me from carrying more than we need."

The car park at the start of the trial was busy, but they managed to find a space. James repacked his bag, leaving the unwanted raincoat behind, and hitched it onto his back.

"Let's go then."

* * *

><p><strong>Done! Again, this was just a fillerlead-in for the next chapter!**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter!**

**Next chapter, and possibly the chapter after next, will revolve around their third date! I will also have an... announcement of sorts that I'm pretty excited about!**

**We're nearing the halfway point of this story, which means that there will probably be somewhere around 10-15 chapters left to this story. But I already have a story lined up for when I'm finished with this one :)**

**And for my Jagan fans, I've started planning my first Jagan story! It probably won't be out until next month or month after next, but it is coming! **

**Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Before we get started, a huge thank you/shout-out to these readers for reviewing last chapter!**

**annabellex2**

**winterschild11**

**child who is cool**

**germanfanfictioner**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**jhansikirani17025**

**Riku Child of Dawn**

**Again, thank you all for reviewing! **

**I'm glad you all are excited about Kames' third date! This one will be a little different from their past dates. But I hope you all enjoy it!**

**P.S. A little announcement after this chapter! **

* * *

><p>The first section of the path was flat, leading to the edge of the woods. But as soon as they reached the trees, the trail began to climb steeply. The woods were beautiful, huge trees that blocked the sun, and ancient oak trees that made a canopy. They passed several other people who were on their way back down, walkers in pairs or groups, some alone, some with kids and dogs.<p>

James let Kendall set the pace. James ran and exercised regularly, and he wasn't sure how fit Kendall was, although he looked to be in good shape. But Kendall walked at a good speed, and they overtook a few older walkers and family groups with smaller children as the trail zigzagged up the steep hillside.

They stopped in a clearing for a rest and a drink. There was a large fallen tree, and they leaned against the trunk in the sunlight.

"Aren't you glad I brought water now?" James asked as he passed the bottle to Kendall.

"Yeah, I'm really thirsty. Glad one of us is good at planning ahead."

James looked back down at the path they'd climbed.

"It's a shame we can't see the view. We must be pretty high up by now."

"Once we get out of the trees we will, it won't be long now." Kendall said.

Just as they reached the edge of the woods there was a narrow section of path and they had to go in single file. James went ahead, climbing up the uneven rocky slope with Kendall following behind.

"The view from here is pretty great."

Kendall's voice made James pause and frown for a moment, confused as he looked around at the trees. Sure, they were beautiful. But it wasn't very different to what they'd seen the last half hour as they'd made their way up through the woodland.

"Seriously, it's stunning."

The amusement in Kendall's voice finally clued James in, and he turned his head to see Kendall's gaze fixed on his ass.

"Oh yeah?" James grinned, wiggling deliberately as he started moving again, but he kept his tone innocent. "Yes, the trees are beautiful, aren't they."

"Gorgeous." Kendall said in response.

As they finally emerged from the trees onto the exposed grassy part of the hill, Kendall put a hand on James hip to stop him.

"Look." He said.

James turned and gazed out over the countryside spread out below them.

"Wow."

"Yeah." Kendall said as he moved to stand beside him, their arms brushing as they stopped to drink it in. "I love how tiny the cars look from up here." He pointed, and James followed his finger to watch a car making it's way along the road.

They turned back to where the path stretched ahead of them. It led up the spine of the hill over short, cropped grass. It was less steep now. The hard work of the climb was behind them, but there was still quite a way to go.

It took them another half hour or so to reach the point at the far end of the hill. There were several other walkers up there. James and Kendall waited for some kids to finish balancing on the stone marker that showed the highest point of the hill, then they leaned against it and looked out at the view again.

"This is great." James said softly as he stared at the view. "I've missed doing stuff like this."

"Hilltop selfie?" Kendall asked as he got his phone out of his pocket.

He put his arm around James and leaned in close to take the picture, getting in both their faces and the rocks and sky behind them. A gust of wind caught them as he took the picture, and a stray strand of Kendall's hair blew into James' face. He batted it away, chuckling.

"You've got too much hair."

"You're just jealous of my luscious locks." He said jokingly. "Hang on, I'll try again."

Kendall tucked the stray strand behind his ear, and the second photo worked better. Their smiles were even wider than the first time.

"Now, did somebody say something about snacks?" Kendall asked. "What have you got in that bag of yours?"

They climbed a little way down the rocky hilltop to find a spot that was both secluded and sheltered from the wind. They say, leaning against the sun-warmed stone, and James delved into his bag and pulled out some slightly squashed hot cross buns and a Thermos.

"It's hot chocolate. I always think tea and coffee taste a little weird out of these."

They passed the one cup between them, sharing the hot chocolate and eating the buns. Their fingers touched every time the cup changed hands, and James felt a warmth in his stomach that wasn't just from the hot drink.

When they'd finished, they sat a little longer with the sun on their faces. James closed his eyes and tilted his head back, listening to the sound of a bird high above.

"Thank you." James said, his eyes still shut. "This is a perfect date."

He felt the weight of Kendall's hand on his thigh, and when James opened his eyes and turned his head, Kendall was smiling at him.

"Yeah, it's pretty good."

James leaned closer and kissed him. It was a sweet kiss, slow and lingering, and James covered Kendall's with his own, lacing their fingers together and squeezing with warm pressure.

When they drew apart, they were both grinning like fools. James wondered what was going on in Kendall's head. He seemed to really like this whole dating thing, but James was still unsure of his motives. He didn't want to spoil things by asking though, so he kept quiet.

After sitting in the sun for a while, they scrambled around on the rocks, challenging each other to find different way up to the top of a small rock formation. James was impressed with the way Kendall moved on the rock. He was a natural climber, fearless and agile.

"Have you done much climbing?" James asked as he watched Kendall heave his body up and over onto a flat shelf of rock. "You look like you know what you're doing."

"Not on rocks." Kendall replied. "I used to climb up a lot of trees as a kid though, and out of my bedroom window when I was a younger, until my mom caught me and grounded me for a week."

James laughed. "What about indoor climbing? There's a couple of good indoor walls in Minnesota."

"Nope, never tried it." Kendall said as he held a hand out to James and helped him up onto the ledge beside him. "Maybe I should one day."

On the way back down the hill, they walked close together, smiling whenever they caught each other's eye. When they reached the wooded section, Kendall took James' hand and led him off the path.

"Where are we going?" James asked.

"Somewhere we can do more kissing, kissing is allowed, right?"

James' heart flip-flopped with excitement.

Yeah." He said, licking his lips. "Kissing is definitely allowed."

Once they were safely away from the path, Kendall stopped by a huge oak tree, keeping the tree between them and the trail.

"This'll do nicely."

He looked at James with such heat in his eyes, that James was half-hard with anticipation even before Kendall grabbed his belt loops and reeled him in, kissing him deep and dirty until James broke away to catch his breath.

"Fuck." He muttered against the warm damp skin of Kendall's neck.

Kendall snorted. "On our third date? What kind of guy do you think I am?"

James drew back to see his teasing expression. "I know exactly what kind of guy you are."

"But you like me anyway." There was challenge in Kendall's emerald green eyes now, but also a hint of hope.

"Yeah," James admitted. "I do."

And he did, more than he ever expected. But James didn't want to think about that right now. He wanted to lose himself in Kendall for a bit.

He leaned down and claimed Kendall's lips again, pressing him back into the tree trunk with the weight of his body as he kissed him, even more hungrily now. They kissed, messy and urgent, moving their hips against each other. James' cock was trapped and catching uncomfortably aganist the zip of his shorts, so he pulled away and reached into his underwear, adjusting himself to get a better angle. Kendall watched the movement of James' hand and when he met James' gaze again, his eyes were dark and desperate-looking.

"I want to touch you so badly," Kendall muttered. "Or blow you. God, I want to make you come."

Heat flooded the pit of James' stomach, and his groin throbbed at the thought of it. It would be so easy to give in to temptation. But he took a ragged breath and managed to shake his head.

Kendall's eyebrows drew down in a frown, but then he grinned wickedly.

"Do you have a signal on your phone?"

"What?" James had no idea where that question had come from.

"Phone sex." Kendall said as he got his phone out of his pocked. "I could go and stand behind that tree over there. You said phone sex was allowed." But then his face fell. "Oh man. No signal at all."

James wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. Maybe a bit of both. "Probably for the best."

It would have been risky trying it in… well, not exactly a public place, but it wasn't ideal. Other walkers might stray from the main path looking for a quiet spot or something.

"Later, then?" Kendall asked.

"Maybe." James couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.

Kendall took James' face in his hands and kissed him again. Slowly this time, winding down into something gentle, almost like a chaste kiss.

James held him close. Damn… Kendall felt good in James' arms. Like he was meant to be there.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So how was that? This date will be continued in the next chapter! It'll be a little shorter, but I think you all will like it :)<strong>

**I'd really love to hear your thoughts on the chapter!**

**And I've been teasing an announcement of sorts. The announcement is... I'm in the process of writing my own book! **

**It's in the very early stages, but I've started planning it and everything! I don't know when it's going to be done, but it'll be up on Amazon and I'm very excited about it! I'll keep you all updated, but I'm still going to keep cranking out BTR stories! :)**

**Anyways, next chapter of this story will be up on Wednesday since it's a little shorter so until then! **

**-Epically Obsessed**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with yet another chapter! But before I say anything else, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**germanfanfictioner**

**winterschild11**

**Chey21**

**child who is cool**

**annabellex2**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing! **

**I'm so happy that you all are excited about my upcoming book! Like I said last chapter, I'm still kinda in the planning stage right now, so I don't have an exact plot just yet, but I do have a couple of ideas. I've even been considering making my story ideas into BTR stories so I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet. But I'll be sure to keep you all posted! :)**

**This chapter is a little shorter than the last, but I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Kendall took James for dinner at a beautiful old bar on the way back home. They sat at a table for two, tucked away in a corner, and flirted shamelessly as they ate. They took every opportunity to brush fingers, and they let their feet and legs tangle together under the small table, touching each other with subtle pressure and the promise of something unspoken. James was in a glorious haze of infatuation, basking in Kendall's attention.<p>

On the drive back, they arranged to keep next Saturday free again for date number four.

"I want to take you somewhere next week." James said. "You picked the last two places. So it's definitely my turn."

"Okay. Where's it gonna be?"

"It's a surprise." James replied. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Sounds fun. I like surprises."

When they got back to James' apartment, Kendall found a parking space and turned off the engine. It was early evening now, but still light outside.

James turned to Kendall. "Thanks for a really great date. The walk was beautiful. I loved it."

"I'm so glad. I wasn't sure if it was a bit... I don't know. A weird thing to do on a date."

"It was perfect." James insisted.

They held each other's gaze for a moment.

"So... I'll see you next week, then."

They both moved at the same time, leaning awkwardly across the handbrake to meet in a clumsy kiss. James brought his hand up to Kendall's head, sliding his fingers into Kendall's hair. Their stubble scratched, but Kendall's lips were soft and warm.

They were both grinning when they parted.

"Yeah. See you next week." Kendall replied. "I might call you later, though." His smile turned suggestive, and James flushed hot at the implication. But he wasn't complaining.

"Okay."

Talking to Kendall later sounded like it might be fun. James thought he'd be up for trying whatever Kendall had in mind.

XxX

Lucy was curled up on the couch when James let himself in. She greeted him, pausing the TV to ask, "How was your date?"

James couldn't hold back a goofy smile as he replied. "It was awesome. We went just outside of town."

"Outside of town?" Lucy raised her eyebrows. "What... did he take you to meet his mom or something? Christ, it _must _be serious."

"God, no. He took me hillwalking. It was great, really beautiful."

"It sounds surprisingly innocent. When you told me the deal with the five dates, I was expecting more along the lines of seedy night clubs and gay saunas than history and country walks. Maybe he's lulling you into a false sense of security before he steps up his game?"

Lucy grinned, obviously just joking, but James felt a surge of irritation and protectiveness.

"You make his sound like some creepy sexual predator. And it's not like that. Yeah... okay, there _is _a bit of a competition going on, I guess, where he's trying to wear me down and I'm trying to hold off for a little longer. But it's all good-natured, and Kendall's not nearly as bad as you're making out." James said, putting his bag down and sitting on the sofa by Lucy before continuing.

"I suppose Kendall's surprised me too. He's been so thoughtful in picking where we've gone for the last two dates. He chose them because he thought I'd enjoy them."

"That's really sweet." Lucy was serious now. "I wish I could find a guy who put so much thought into dating. All the dates I've been on have involved beer, and, if I'm lucky, dinner and a movie. They're not exactly imaginative. Do you know where he's taking you next weekend?"

"It's my turn to choose next." James smiled. "And I've already decided."

"Ooh, where are you taking him?"

"I'm going to take him climbing. He's never been, but he's a natural. We did a bit of climbing up on the rocks today, and I think he'll love it."

"Outdoors? Do you have the gear for it?"

"I thought I'd take him indoors for his first time. There's a place not too far from here. We can actually walk from here, then we can go for drinks or dinner after."

"That sounds like a great date too. Seriously, I need to find a man with imagination. Maybe you and Kendall are perfect for each other after all."

James' cheeks heated up as he admitted. "Yeah. Maybe we are. I hope so anyway. I was expecting this just to be a bit of a laugh, but underneath all his bravado, he's..." He hesitated for a moment. "I don't know... sweet, I guess, and a good person."

Lucy looked at him intently, a small smile on her face.

"What?" James asked.

"You're really into him, aren't you?"

James shrugged, about to deflect, but Lucy continued.

"I don't get why you're still holding out. You like him and he seems to be really making the effort with the dating thing. So why are you still waiting to have sex with him?"

James shrugged. It was a hard question to answer because, honestly, he wasn't quite sure why it mattered to him. "I'm stubborn, I guess? We made a deal, and I want to see if he'll see it through. I want him. But I'm still not quite sure I trust him. For all I know, he still just sees me as a conquest. At least if I make him wait the full five dates, then whatever happens after that, it's on my terms, not his."

"Control freak." Lucy chuckled.

"Maybe." James grinned back. "I quite like the power."

"Poor Kendall." She said. "I almost feel sorry for him now."

XxX

Later, in bed, James lay awake and thought about Kendall.

Lucy's words kept replaying in his head. _You're really into him._ James couldn't hide from it. He'd known from the start that this was a dangerous game. Kendall had the potential to hurt him if this didn't work out, because James cared too much about him already, and it was only date three. But what was James going to do, call it off? There was no way that was happening. Not when things were going so well. He just had to hope that Kendall might be developing feelings for him too.

Because James was falling, and it was too late to stop.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So, you all got a little more insight on how James is feeling about everything!<strong>

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter as well as your opinions on how James is feeling :) **

**I've already started the next chapter so you all can expect another update this weekend! I must warn you though, the next few chapters will be a little... heated, to say the least ;)**

**Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello again everyone! As promised, I'm back with another chapter! Before we get to the chapter, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**germanfictioner**

**winterschild11**

**Tigers257**

**child who is cool**

**annabellex2**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**jhansikirani17025**

**Chey21**

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing! :)**

**So, remember how I said the next few chapter will be pretty heated, well that all starts in this chapter! This chapter picks up right where last chapter left off, except more in Kendall's POV.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Kendall sat in the living room, staring at his phone. He was desperate to text or call James like he'd promised, but he was trying to hold out till a little later. Just before bed might be a good time for what Kendall had in mind.<p>

"You know what they say about watched pots."

"Huh, what?" Kendall asked, looking up to meet Carlos' amused gaze from where he was curled up next to Logan on the sofa.

"They never boil." Logan finished the saying, glancing meaningfully at the phone in Kendall's hand.

"Oh, shut it. I'm not even waiting for anything anyway. I told him I'd call." Kendall said, putting his phone on the coffee table and leaning back in his chair.

Carlos was still grinning at him.

"What's so funny?" Kendall glared back.

"You're really hooked. I've never seen you like this over a guy before."

Kendall opened his mouth. His first instinct was to deny everything. But as he felt a hot tingling flush his cheeks, he realized he probably wasn't going to convince anyone anyway.

"Well, you're hardly one to talk." He glared at Carlos, leaning into Logan's side like they were joined at the hip, their hands intertwined on Logan's thigh.

Carlos smiled and squeezed Logan's hand. "I wasn't saying it's a bad thing. In fact, I recommend it. So anyway, what's going to happen at the end of these five dates, apart from all the sex of course. Have you thought about that?"

Kendall shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose we'll just see how we're both feeling about it."

"So you might keep seeing him?"

Kendall thought about James. His sweet nature, his gentle humor. He couldn't imagine saying goodbye to him at the end of the five dates. "I can think of worse things." He admitted. "But he might not wan't to keep going out with me."

Kendall frowned at his own words. James would want to keep seeing him, wouldn't he? After all, James was the one who'd insisted on something more meaningful than a casual hook-up.

"Worried you won't live up to his expectations?" Carlos teased. "All that build-up... five dates of foreplay. You'd better make sure you're not a disappointment."

"My skills are legendary." Kendall bragged.

But it was true. He did kind of pride himself on being good at sex. He'd never had any complaints, and if the number of hopeful request for his number after one-night stands were anything to go by, he was doing something right at least. However, the thought of sex with James made him feel oddly nervous.

What if they didn't click, or they weren't compatible sexually? No. It didn't bear thinking about. He remembered the fire that James could light in him with just a kiss, there was no way it wasn't going to work for them in bed. Speaking of which, he reckoned it was about time to make that phone call.

XxX

After a quick shower, Kendall got into bed naked. He reached for his phone from the nightstand and sent James a text.

_**You okay to talk?**_

_Yeah. I'll call you in five, _came the reply.

While he waited, Kendall let his mind drift, imagining James naked.

He bet James had a great body. His ass looked damn good in those shorts he'd been wearing earlier, and he had sexy broad shoulders and long legs. Kendall sighed, spreading his legs under the covers and feeling his hardening cock brush against the cotton.

He ran his hands over his chest, brushing his fingertips over his nipples. He resisted the urge to palm himself. If he started without James it would be game over way too soon.

When his phone finally rang, it felt like he'd been waiting fifteen rather than five minutes. Kendall answered it without hesitation.

"Hi."

He swallowed, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden.

"Hi." James replied cautiously. There was a pause. "Did you want something?"

"Well..." Kendall deliberately lowered his tone and tried not to laugh as he put on his best sexy voice. "I have this problem I was hoping you could help me with..." His voice wavered and cracked, and a snort of laughter burst out of him. "Oh, fuck it. I'm sorry. I thought I'd be better at this."

James chuckled. "Very smooth. You mean you haven't had phone sex before? Somehow I thought you'd be an expert."

"No." Kendall admitted. "I'm better face-to-face, or face-to-dick... or ass. But I figured it was worth a try because I'm so fucking horny, and I think it could be hot if we can manage it without giggling. What do you reckon, do you want to try it?"

"Yeah, all right." James said. "I'm not sure what to say though. Everything I think of sounds cheesy."

"Tell me about it. But never mind. Let's just go for it. If I tell you I'm already naked, does it help?"

"Really?" James sounded interested. "You were pretty confident I was going to say yes then?"

"Well, even if you weren't up for it, I was going to have a wank after talking to you anyway. I keep thinking about kissing you and how it felt when you pushed me up against that tree."

"Yeah?"

Encouraged, Kendall continued, getting into his stride. He let his free hand trail down his body as he spoke and curled his hand loosely around his cock, stroking lightly at first.

"Yeah. I could feel you were hard, and I wanted to suck you so badly. I want to see your cock... feel it in my mouth... taste you." He paused, wondering if James might want a turn to speak.

"Don't stop." James' voice was muffled, and Kendall could hear the sounds of rustling and what might be a zip being undone. "Oh, fuck." There was a thump and his voice sounded farther away. "Gimme a sec." More rustling and sounds of movement, then James was back, his voice loud and clear again. "There, that's better."

"Dropped the phone?"

"Yeah, I was trying to get some clothes off without putting the phone down, but I'm sorted now. So tell me more."

"I've lost my flow." Kendall said. "Are you naked?"

"Mostly." James replied. "Would it ruin it for you if I told you I still had my socks on? I was impatient."

Kendall laughed. "Nah, it's kind of cute. I like that you were in a hurry to get back to me. What are you doing? Are you touching yourself yet?"

"Yes." James sounded slightly breathless now.

"Me too. I'm doing it slowly though, otherwise I'll come too soon. What are you doing?"

"I'm... uh... I'm touching my ass. Not like actual fingering, just stroking around."

The slightly embarrassed admission sent a jolt of heat through Kendall, and he tightened his grip on himself, picking up speed slightly.

"Fuck, really? That's hot. So do you like to bottom?"

"Yeah. Well, I like both. But yeah, I like being fucked."

Kendall thrust up into the grip of his fist and did his best porn-star moan without even trying.

"I'd fuck you so good." He managed. The challenge with phone sex was going to be staying coherent long enough to get each other off. "God, I'm so close already, thinking about that. Tell me what you're doing right now. Are you gonna put your fingers in?"

There was a wet sucking sound that made Kendall's toes curl.

"Just making them wet..." James said before letting out a huff of breath and a grunt.

Kendall stilled his hand, listening intently, imagining James with his legs spread and his fingers inside himself.

"Fuck." James gasped. "Should have used lube instead of spit, but it's good anyway."

"Oh my God, James." Kendall started moving again, stroking himself, fast and furious. "You're going to make me come. Wish it was me, my cock inside you, fucking you..."

His orgasm was approaching, the tension curling tight, his muscles clenching. James made a broken noise, and it tipped Kendall over. He groaned loudly, arching as he came, shooting hard on his stomach and chest. A few stray drops even made it as far as his chin, narrowly missing the phone he still had clamped to his ear.

"Holy shit." He muttered weakly when he had enough breath.

"Good?" James' voice was warm and soft in his ear.

"Really fucking good. I nearly jizzed on my freaking phone though."

James chuckled.

"Did you come yet?" Kendall asked.

"Not like this. I need an extra hand for my dick."

"Can you put me on speaker?" Kendall suggested.

"Good idea, hold on a sec. There."

"Okay." Now that the flush of Kendall's orgasm had passed, he felt self-conscious, lying naked and sticky on his bed with James on the other end of the phone. But James' words had got him off, and Kendall was determined to return the favor. "So are you still fingering yourself?"

"Yeah." James replied. Kendall could hear the rustle of movement as well as his voice.

"If I get to blow you, I could finger you while I do it. Do you like that? A finger in your ass while someone sucks your dick?"

"Fuck, yeah." James sounded desperate now.

Kendall figured he wouldn't need much more to get him there.

"Or maybe I could eat you out while I play with your cock, drive you crazy with my tongue until your begging to be fucked. Do you like being rimmed?"

There was a pause, but Kendall could still hear the sound of movement and the huff of James' breaths. His voice was hoarse when he finally replied.

"Uh... nobody's ever done that to me. But I think I'd like it."

"Oh, babe. You love ass play and no one's ever rimmed you? You're missing out. It feels amazing. I'd do it for you, lick your hole and jerk you off. You'd come so fucking hard."

"Oh, _God._" James groaned. "Fuck, Kendall."

"Yeah, are you coming for me?"

This phone sex thing was way more fun than Kendall had expected, and the sound of James falling apart and gasping his name had him wondering if he could go for round two.

There was another stifled moan at James' end, and then the sound of ragged breathing, before a shaky voice finally said, "Shit. I actually did get jizz on my phone."

They both cracked up laughing, and the mood was broken, but in a good way.

They stayed on the line while they cleaned up a little. Kendall pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and got back into bed with his phone pressed back to his ear again.

"That was fucking hot." He admitted. "I wasn't sure I'd like phone sex, but it was fun. I'd still rather be in bed with you, though. I wish I'd been able to see you."

"Same."

"Same which? It was hot, or you wish I was there with you?"

"Both, I suppose." James said.

"Why exactly are we waiting again?" Kendall kept his voice light and teasing. He didn't want to spoil the moment this time.

"I don't know. I suppose I'm just stubborn. It's only two more weeks anyway."

"And then we can do all the things we talked about?"

"Maybe." James yawned.

"Are you tired? Want me to let you sleep?"

"Soon, don't go yet though."

There was a rustle of bed covers. Kendall imagined James lying in his bed alone and was shot through with the desire to be there with him now, to be able to trade lazy kisses before settling down to sleep together. Which was weird because Kendall rarely spent the night with anyone.

He hated dealing with the morning after a hookup, it wasn't usually worth the awkwardness for the chance of an extra blowjob. But waking up with James would be different.

"You still there?"

James' voice jolted Kendall out of his disturbing thought.

"Yeah." Kendall replied, feeling a bit sleepy now too. "Yeah, but I'm going to doze off soon."

"Okay, maybe we should hang up." James yawned again. "Sleep well."

"You too." Kendall smiled.

"And thanks for today. It was good. All of it."

"Yeah. Yeah, it really was. Night, James."

"Night."

Kendall took the phone away from his ear and watched until he saw the call disconnect, then set his phone aside, turned off the light, and rolled onto his side, still smiling as he drifted into sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! Told you it would be heated! I hope you all enjoyed the... semi-smut. <strong>

**Even though this was all mostly semi-smut, you all also got a look into Kendall's head and how he's feeling about James! **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter and your thoughts on Kendall fellings about James as well as how I did with the semi-smut! :P**

**I already have the next chapter finished, so I'll post it tomorrow! :)**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Time for another chapter! Again, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**germanfanfictioner**

**Soul-Glo (Guest)**

**winterschild11**

**crazyxkames (Guest)**

**child who is cool**

**annabellex2**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**I'm glad you all liked the semi-smut last chapter :P There may or may not be more to come ;)**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p>They kept in touch during the week, mostly by text, but with the occasional call too. On Friday night, James called late, and that time he was the one to suggest they had phone sex.<p>

It was just as much fun as the first time, and after, they lay and chatted for a while.

"I'm not sure if it's going to be easier or harder seeing you tomorrow after doing this." Kendall said. "It feels weird that I can talk about sucking your cock, but I'm not allowed to touch it."

Then he added, "Of course, the rule is technically no orgasms while we're together. So I guess I could suck you off as long as you didn't come."

James chuckled lightly. "Nice try. But that's never going to happen. I'm pretty sure I'll only last about a minute the first time I get my cock in your mouth."

"I should freaking hope so after five weeks of foreplay."

There was a short pause.

"So," Kendall continued. "Are you going to tell me where we're going tomorrow?"

"No. But you need to wear something old and comfortable. A T-shirt and sweatpants or something, definitely not skinny jeans."

Kendall frowned, wondering where the hell James was taking him. Maybe paint-balling, or laser tag or something.

"No other clues?"

"Nope." James sounded annoyingly pleased with himself.

"Are we driving anywhere?" Kendall asked, hoping for more information.

"No. I'll come by your place at around two. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

They talked a little more until they were both yawning, then reluctantly bid each other goodnight.

"See you tomorrow." Kendall yawned. "Night."

"Sweet dreams."

"I like dirty dreams better."

James laughed. "Dirty dreams then. Night, Kendall."

XxX

Kendall looked James up and down when he opened the front door. He looked hot, dressed in sweatpants and a tight-fitting black t-shirt that showed off his chest and toned stomach. He had a small backpack slung over his shoulders.

"Will I do?" Kendall asked, gesturing down at himself. His only jogging pants were seriously skanky, but he'd found some old jeans that were on the loose side and was wearing a T-shirt that had seen better days.

"Perfect. As long as you can bend and stretch okay in those jeans."

Kendall raised an eyebrow, then turned his back on James and touched his toes. "Do you want me to do the splits too?"

"Um, no. I'm good."

When he straightened up, Kendall was gratified to notice James was a little flushed.

"So where are you taking me, Mr Mysterious?" He asked as he shut the front door behind him and fell into step beside James.

"You'll see."

XxX

It wasn't until they turned into the street with the large church tower looming at the end of it, that Kendall had an inkling where they were going.

"Are you taking me climbing?" He asked.

James glanced at him and smiled uncertainly. "Is that okay? After last weekend with the rock scrambling I thought you'd like it. But we don't have to if you don't like the idea."

"No! I love it. But I've never tried it, so I'll have no clue what I'm doing. And won't I need a harness and stuff?"

"It's okay. I know what I'm doing, and it's pretty straight-forward. I can show you what to do, and we can hire anything we need for you at the climbing center."

James flashed his membership card when they arrived and insisted on paying for both of them as well as hiring a harness and some climbing shoes for Kendall. They both had to sign a little paperwork to allow Kendall in as a guest.

"I'm in charge of you, so behave." James nudged Kendall gently. "No falling off and hurting yourself."

"Aren't you supposed to catch me if I fall anyway?" Kendall asked, feeling a spike of nervous anticipation. He craned his neck to look up at the plywood walls that soared up into the rafters of the old church. He watched as a climber descended, swinging spider-like on the end of a worryingly thin-looking rope, and his stomach lurhced.

"Of course. If you slip off the wall, you won't go far." James assured him.

They went upstairs to change their shoes and leave anything they didn't need in a locker. James made sure Kendall's pockets were empty.

"If your phone falls out while you're climbing and hits me on the head, it would ruin our date."

Kendall met his gaze and stared, distracted by James' hazel eyes for a moment. "Yeah, we don't want that."

He went back to fastening his harness with his fingers that were sweaty with nerves. Once he was strapped in, James tucked a finger in one of the loops and pulled Kendall close. The movement surprised Kendall, and he put a hand on James' shoulder for support as James bent and tugged on the straps, tightening and adjusting till he was satisfied with the fit.

"It's quite flattering, isn't it?" Kendall asked, thrusting his crotch suggestively. The cut of the harness certainly enhanced his package. "Maybe I should get one of these to go clubbing in. It shows off my assets."

James straightened up and chuckled. "But you don't want to get a hard-on in one of these, believe me. So stop waving your dick in my face." He patted Kendall on the shoulder. "You're all set. Let's go."

XxX

James insisted Kendall climbed first. He picked an easy route, taught Kendall the correct knot to tie himself onto one end of the rope that dangled from the top of the wall and did something complicated with the other end through a bit of kit attached to his harness.

"What's that, then?" Kendall asked, watching James' hands as he sorted out his end of the rope.

"It's a belay device." James explained. "It creates friction so it's easy for me to catch you if fall. I'll show you how to do it later, so I can climb too. As long as I always keep one hand on the rope, you're safe. Okay, you're good to go."

Kendall looked at the wall stretched up in front of him. It suddenly looked awfully tall.

"So I just climb?"

"Yep, and I'll pull the rope in as you go. So if you slip off, which you won't because this route is almost as easy as climbing a ladder, you won't go far."

"Okay."

Fear and adrenaline made Kendall climb fast. James was right, it wasn't difficult at all. But it was new to Kendall, and as he hauled himself up on the brightly colored holds, his heart pounded and his breathing came fast. He faltered for a moment, about halfway up, and looked down to see where his right foot needed to go next.

"Shit." The floor seemed a very long way away. But then his gaze fixed on James who was staring up at him, and huge grin on his face.

"You're doing great, keep going. Get that foot up."

Kendall shifted his weight more onto his left hand and lifted his leg, the hold was up near his thigh and awkward to reach. Now he knew why James had told him not to wear skinny jeans.

"Enjoying the view?" He called down to James, wondering what he looked like from below.

"Focus, Kendall!" James replied with a chuckle. "But yes."

Kendall tilted his head back, fixed his gaze upwards, and went for it. He climbed easily to the top of the wall, slapping the ceiling with the palm of his hand in triumph.

"Now what?" He called.

"Now let go, and I'll lower you down."

Kendall's stomach lurched at the thought of releasing his grip on the holds. Even though he knew James wouldn't let him fall, it went against ever instinct to uncurl his fingers and let his full weight rest in the harness that supported him.

But he trusted James, so he did it.

"Okay," He glanced down over his shoulder. "Jesus!" He yelped as he dropped smoothly and steadily but alarmingly quickly. He swung in towards the wall.

"Keep your feet out." James instructed.

Kendall pushed off the wall and swung back, then pushed away again, like he's seen others do. "Hey, this is awesome!"

As he reached the floor, he got both feet under him and managed a graceful landing. He grinned at James, elated and buzzing with adreneline.

"That was amazing."

James smiled back. "You did great. I knew you'd be a natural. Do you want to do another one."

"Yeah, but it's your turn next." Kendall started to undo the knot that held him to the rope. "Tell me what I need to do to belay you."

As Kendall hadn't done it before, James asked a guy who worked there to talk Kendall through his first time.

"You're supposed to do a course really." James said. "But Ian can show you what to do, and it's not rocket science. As long as you keep a hand on the rope at all times you can't really go wrong. You take in as I climb, and then lower me down to get to the top."

Ian was more than happy to keep an eye on Kendall while James climbed a couple of routes. Kendall managed fine, despite being a little distracted by the perfection of James' ass framed by his harness, and Ian pronounced him competent.

After that they took turns climbing routes, gradually increasing the difficulty. As the afternoon progressed, it was getting how inside the building. The back door was open, letting in a breeze, but soon they were both sweating with the exertion.

While he was climbing up a particularly steep section of wall, Kendall glanced to the side and noticed another guy climbing a little to his right, his wearing a pair of shorts. As soon as Kendall got back down, he stripped his shirt off. If shirtlessness was acceptable, the he was damned if he was going to carry on wearing it in this heat.

"That's better." He said as he balled up his shirt and left it at the bottom of the route next to the water bottle they were sharing. "What?" He turned to James who was staring at him. James' gaze raked over Kendall's chest, and Kendall flushed at the attention. He lowered his voice. "Stop looking at me like that, or this harness is going to get a lot more uncomfortable than it already is."

He turned his attention to untying the knot while James unclipped the belay device from his harness. It was James' turn to climb next and he led the way along the wall to a steeper section where a large overhang jutted out near the top of the route.

"I'm going to try the orange route."

James studied the labels at the foot of the wall where the different routes were color-coded. The orange was much harder than anything James had attempted so far, with smaller holds that looked few and far between as Kendall tried to see where they went.

"Rather you than me."

"It's freaking hot in here. You're got the right idea." James said. Then with one swift movement, he pulled his shirt up and over his head.

Kendall stared. James' body was even better than he'd imagined. Strong and muscular yet still pretty slim. His skin was nice and tanned apart from where his cheeks and throat were flushed from the heat. Kendall wanted to pin him up against the wall and suck marks into his chest.

James cleared his throat, and Kendall raised his eyes to meet an amused smirk.

"You ready for me to climb?" James raised his eyebrows.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Kendall managed, taking in the slack on the rope and trying not to let his gaze drop again.

He turned, moving in to stand behind James as he faced the wall, ready to climb. Kendall breathed in and caught the scent of warm skin and sweat, and it was all he could do not to move closer and touch.

As James climbed, Kendall watched the play of muscles in his back and the curve of his backside. James moved gracefully, all fluid movements as he scaled the wall. He paused at the overhang, balancing on his feet as he looked up assessingly.

"Get on with it!" Kendall teased, trying to break the spell James cast had cast on him.

"Just working out what I need to do. It looks like a bitch of a move."

James went for it, climbing under the plywood shelf until he was almost horizontal. He hesitated for a moment, then hauled himself round with a grunt of effort that made Kendall's mind go to very dirty places. Kendall took in the slack on the rope quickly as James made short work of the top section of the wall, whooping in triumph as he finally reached the ceiling.

James let go with no warning, the sudden weight of him nearly jerking Kendall off the ground. Kendall lowered him down, and James was grinning when his feet finally touched the ground.

"Well done." Kendall gave him a little more slack, so he could untie.

"Wow, that was hard." James' fingers were trembling as he fumbled with the knot.

"It looked like it." Kendall replied, then added, "And it sounded like it too, if the sex noises were anything to go by."

James' eyes opened wide and his already flushed cheeks got even pinker. "Fuck you."

Kendall chuckled. "I wish. Here, let me." He batted James' trembling hands away from the knot he was trying unsuccessfully to loosen. "You're a mess."

"Yeah. My arms are tired now." James flexed his fingers. "I had nothing left by the time I got to the top. I could hardly hold on."

Kendall tugged him a little closer with the rope. He could feel the heat radiating off James' bare skin as he worked the knot loose. "There you go." He raised his eyes to meet James' gaze, holding it for a moment as James stared back.

James licked his lips. "Thanks."

Kendall stepped away, before he gave in to the urge to back James up against the wall and kiss him senseless. Hopefully there would be opportunities for that later.

"So are we done here?" Kendall asked. "I don't think my arms can take much more, and I'm getting hungry. Did you have a plan for later?"

"How about a beer when we leave here, and then we can grab takeout and go back to my place?"

"Sounds great."

"We'll have it to ourselves." James added. "Lucy's gone back home this weekend."

"Even better." Kendall grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So... this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. And on another note, there may or may not have been a little foreshadowing here ;)<strong>

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter! **

**I haven't started on the next chapter yet, but it'll be up within a few days. The good news is that I should have more time to write so I should be updating my other stories throughout the week as well!**

**Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with a new chapter! This one is a little shorter than usual, but it's basically a lead-in to the next chapter! But before we get to that, a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**germanfanfictioner**

**winterschild11**

**annabellex2**

**child who is cool**

**Chey21**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**Soul-Glo (Guest)**

**Riku child of Dawn**

**hopeless51**

**Guest**

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing! **

**This chapter, along with the next, is kind of a turning point in a story. I hope you all enjoy! ;)**

* * *

><p>Back at James' apartment, they put some music on and laid comfortably on the couch, sharing the Chinese food they'd picked up on the way home. With one beer inside him from the bar near the climbing center and another that was washing the food down, Kendall was feeling the perfect amount of slightly tipsy. He basked in the warm glow of James' companionship and the residual buzz from the experience of climbing earlier.<p>

"I think today has been my favorite date so far." He said as he finally admitted defeat and set his plate aside, no room left for the last bit of chow mein. "Thanks."

James looked pleased with himself. "I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I can't believe you've never tried it before."

"Yeah, I've been missing out. But now that I know how cool it is, I'd definitely like to do it again." There was a pause, and Kendall suddenly realized how that sounded. He didn't mean to assume James would want to take him there again. "I mean, I might do a course or something, so I can meet other beginners to climb with."

"We can go again together if you want." James offered.

Kendall turned sideways on the couch so he could see him properly, putting his feet up so his toes were nearly touching James' leg.

James forked up the last bits of rice on his plate and transferred them to his mouth. "Unless you'd rather climb with someone else."

"Nah." Kendall wiggled his toes closer, tucking them under James' thigh. "I like the view when I'm climbing with you." He let his voice drip with suggestion.

"Yeah?" James asked as he put his plate on the coffee table and reached for Kendall's ankle, circling it with a firm grip.

"Mm-hmm." A smile tugged at Kendall's lips.

James moved, knocking Kendall's thighs apart so he could fit between them as he lowered his body and found Kendall's mouth with his own. Kendall kissed him back, enjoying the warm weight of James on top of him. He slid one hand into James' hair to keep him there and worked the other one up the back of James' shirt, hot skin against his palm and the shift of lean muscle.

This was the first time they'd been alone like this, somewhere safe with no fear of interruption, and Kendall gave himself up to the sensations, heat and desperation building fast. James ground down against him, and Kendall arched up, rubbing his erection against James'.

It would be shockingly easy to come like this, he suddenly realized, and he knew they should slow things down. Not because he didn't want this. He wanted James badly. But he didn't want to do something they might regret later, not when things had been going so well between them.

He turned his head, tearing his lips away from James' hungry kisses. "James..." He gasped, his voice husky.

But James carried on, his lips and tongue burning a hot wet trail down Kendall's neck.

_"James."_ Kendall tugged on James' hair now, pulling his head up so Kendall could see his face. James' mouth was wet and plush, his eyes glazed with desire, and the look he gave Kendall didn't help one bit.

But they had a deal.

"If we carry on like this, I'm going to come." Kendall said, holding James' gaze as he spelled it out, the warning clear.

James stared back at him, his expression unreadable as the moment stretched out, Kendall was torn, desperately wanting to pull him back down and pick up where they'd left off. But he didn't want that unless James was sure, so he waited, his body tense, fingers still curled tight in James' hair.

James swallowed before responding, "Yeah, me too."

He drew back from Kendall's grip and pushed up to stand beside the sofa.

Kendall bit back a groan of and tried to hide his disappointment, cursing himself for putting the brakes on. Since when had he developed a conscience? But then James held out a hand. Kendall frowned, searching James' face for an explanation as James stood there waiting.

"If we're going to come, I want to do it without all these fucking clothes in the way." James said in a low voice. "My bedroom?"

Kendall heart may or may not have skipped a beat. "Are you sure? Unless I've counted wrong, this is only date four."

James shrugged, his lips twisting in a small grin. "I'm tired of waiting."

A strong mixture of relief and arousal flooded through Kendall, and he grinned back, finally taking James' hand and letting James pull him up. "Oh, thank fuck for that. Me too."

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So, yeah... there you have it!<strong>

**Are they really going to go through with it? Will one of them stop the other? What will be the aftermath of all this?**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on those questions as well as your thoughts on the chapter! :)**

**I haven't started the next chapter yet so it probably won't be up for a while, but I'll try and have it up by next weekend! And for thos that follow my story Haunted, I finally updated it a few days ago so I'd love it if you all could go and check it out! **

**Until next time!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with the next chapter! But before I say anything else, a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**winterschild11**

**Chey21**

**chld who is cool**

**annabellex2**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing! **

**Remember when I said things were getting heated, well this chapter is definitely heated, in more ways than one...**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p>James' head was spinning as he laced their fingers together and led Kendall to his room.<p>

He was aware that he was thinking with his dick rather than his brain at this point, but he didn't care. He was crazy about Kendall, and he didn't want to wait anymore. He didn't see the benefit in hanging on for another week. It wasn't like there was a bet to lose. Sure, they'd made a deal, but so what? He wanted Kendall, Kendall wanted him back, and the moment felt right.

They knew each other now. There was a connection between them that would make this more that just casual sex, whatever happened after. And right now James didn't care about the future. He just wanted to get naked with Kendall and make each other come.

James kicked the door shut behind them and switched on the lamp by the bed, still holding Kendall's hand. Then they kissed again, hands fumbling with each other's clothes as they did their best to undress without breaking contact. Kendall gasped in a shocked breath as James got his hand around Kendall's cock, and James chuckled. They kissed some more, punctuated by T-shirts coming off and Kendall pausing to fumble with James' fiddly jeans button.

Once they were both naked, James dropped to his knees and pressed teasing kisses all over Kendall's stomach and the tops of his thighs. Kendall wound his fingers in James' hair, his hips flexing as his cock bobbed against James' cheek. He was wet and glistening at the tip, and James couldn't resist prolonging the moment, sensing Kendall's desperation and enjoying the teasing.

When Kendall moaned out loud, James finally gave in, capturing the head of his cock between his lips and sucking him in, slowly with his gaze fixed on Kendall, who had his head back and eye closed, mouth slack with pleasure.

"Oh, fuck." Kendall breathed.

James swirled his tongue, and the taste of precome made his mouth water. He used the slickness to take Kendall deeper until he felt Kendall nudge the back of his throat. Then he slid his mouth up and down lazily, keeping it slow.

Kendall cupped James' face with one of his hands and opened his eyes to watch, tugging gently on James hair with the other. "So fucking good. You look so sexy."

James hummed around his mouthful of dick to encourage Kendall and brought one hand down to stroke himself where he was hard and aching to be touched. He noticed Kendall's eyes track the movement, and Kendall moaned again as he watched James fist his cock.

James took him deeper, sucking harder. Kendall felt so good in his mouth, hot and hard, the taste and scent of him filling James' senses. Lost in the pleasure of it, James closed his eyes and drifted until Kendall backed off, pulling out of James' mouth. Kendall swiped James' lower lip with the pad of his thumb, wiping away the sticky drool that had collected at the corners of his mouth.

"I don't want to come yet." Kendall told him. "Let me suck you for a bit."

He held out hand to James and pulled him up, then guided him to the bed. They lay down together, kissing, hands stroking each other's bodies, and Kendall rolled James onto his back. His eyes raked over James possessively.

"Take your time." James teased, thrusting up so his cock brushed against Kendall's ass where he straddled his hips.

"I'm not sure about this." Kendall said, mock seriously. "Maybe we should wait another week." He rocked down against James, moving his hips in a slow, dirty grind.

"Fucker."

James gripped Kendall's waist and thrust up against him as Kendall leaned down for a kiss. Their cocks slid together, wet and sticky.

Kendall teased James as he slowly moved down the bed. His body brushed James' cock as he worked his way down, kissing and stroking James everywhere. He murmured constantly about how gorgeous James was, how much he wanted him.

He focused on James' nipples for ages when he realized how sensitive they were, licking and sucking on them until James wanted to scream at him to hurry the fuck up and suck his dick already.

"Kendall..." He whined instead, arching his hips up hopefully and pushing Kendall's hair out of his eyes so he could see him properly.

"Hmm?" Kendall gazed up at him, expression mischievous as he circled James' nipple with his tongue, then sucked a red mark just below it.

"You said something about sucking me?"

Kendall grinned. "I don't think I specified which part of you."

But he slid down the bed and finally got his mouth where James wanted it.

"After all that fucking teasing," James gasped, digging his fingers into the mattress. "you're not actually going to get to suck it for long. Jesus."

Kendall wasn't teasing now. He worked James over with his hand at the base of James' cock, driving James rapidly towards the point of no return with perfect suction and teasing swipes of his tongue.

James moved his hands into Kendall's hair, tangling them in the dark strands. "I'm going to come." He gasped out a warning, unsure whether Kendall would want to swallow.

But Kendall carried on the rhythm he'd set, moaning around James' cock as James came.

James' whole body locked up tight as he jerked and spilled into Kendall's mouth. His fingers clenched reflexively in Kendall's hair, holding him still as James thrust up into that slick heat and let the waves of pleasure wash over him. He finally collapsed back, breathless and limp. Kendall pulled off and knelt up, straddling James' thighs. His gaze was hot and hungry as it swept over him. Kendall took his cock in his hand and pumped it.

"What do you want me to do?" James asked. He wasn't sure he could get it together to move much right now, but Kendall could fuck his mouth right where he was. James would be down for that.

"This is good." Kendall said as he started stroking himself faster.

James lay back and watched. It was like his own personal live pron show. Kendall looked so hot, all flushed and sweaty. Kendall pinched his nipples with his free hand and made a needy sound. James reached for Kendall's balls, cupping and rubbing them, feeling them draw up in his hand.

"Fuck, yeah..." Kendall threw his head back and bit down on his lip.

His hips stuttered, fucking into the grip of his fist as he came, spurting thick warm stripes all over James' cock and abs.

Kendall chuckled as he squeezed out the last few drops. "You look a mess."

James stretched luxuriously and smiled. "Totally worth it."

Kendall chuckled again, lowering himself down for a kiss with his arms on either side of James' head. "Yeah, definitely. And worth waiting for too."

His lips were soft and gentle as the parted against James', and James wanted to pull him down and hold him for a while. But Kendall rolled off him asking, "Where's your bathroom? I'll get you a cloth."

"Next door."

Kendall came back a couple minutes later cleaned up and with a wet towel which he handed to James. Kendall pulled his underwear back on and sat on the edge of the bed as James cleaned up a little, then drew the covers back up to cover himself. He avoided Kendall's eyes, feeling awkward now that the intimacy of sex had passed and unsure of where he stood. Kendall didn't say anything either, and James wondered if he was feeling uncomfortable too. Or if he was trying to figure out how to say goodbye...

Desperate for some kind of reassurance but not sure how to ask for it, James tried to lightened the mood.

"Well, I guess that's it then." He joked. "You'll be on your way now that you've got what you wanted."

Kendall snapped his head around, confusion on his features. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" His voice was sharp and angry.

James backpedaled quickly, propping himself up on his elbows as he tried to explain. "I was just kidding... well, sort of." The lurch of adrenaline that ripped thought him now that he realized he's said the wrong thing made it hard for him to collect his thoughts. "Only... you know. This is date four, and we didn't hold out. And I thought-"

"That we won't be needing a fifth? Well I guess not if that's how you feel about it." Kendall sounded stiff and hurt. He got up off the bed, leaned down to pick up his clothes, and started to pull them on. "I'll get out of you hair then."

"Ken, that's not what I-"

But Kendall wasn't listening. "I didn't realize you're opinion of me was _quite _that low. Jesus Christ, James. Did you seriously think I was only going out with you to get in your pants? I mean, sure, I wanted to bang you. It wasn't a secret. But I tried really hard here. We got to know each other. We bonded and stuff. I did everything you asked me too."

He tripped as he tried to slip his feet into his shoes without undoing the laces and cursed as he stumbled. He shoved his feet into them viciously and kept moving.

"But I didn't mean-" James tried again, only for Kendall to cut him off again.

"This was your fucking idea anyway. _You _were the one who didn't want to wait today. Not me. I tried to put the brakes on, remember?"

Before James could get another word in, Kendall was gone, and James was left naked and stunned by Kendall's outburst.

"But I was only joking..." He said weakly to the door that Kendall had slammed shut behind him. Then he was overcome with a sudden wave on anger. _"I was only fucking joking!"_

His only answer was the muffled thud of the front door in the distance.

"Shit."

James flopped back onto the mattress and rubbed his face with his hands. He appeared to have fucked things up spectacularly. Anger surged through him, directed at himself but also at Kendall. Touchy bastard, flying off the handle without giving James time to explain. James hadn't seen that side of Kendall before, who knew he had such a temper? Well fuck him, metaphorically speaking.

James got up and showered, scrubbing the last traces of Kendall off his skin. He stayed in there for ages, letting the water pound into his shoulders and the back of his neck until it started to run cold.

Once he'd dried and dressed, he got his phone and threw himself down on the sofa, still tense and angry. He glared at the screen for a few moments before typing the words that Kendall hadn't given him a chance to say before he stormed off.

_I was only fucking joking._

He refused to apologize now, not when Kendall hadn't even given him a chance earlier. Even though James knew that part of the fault was on him, Kendall's reaction had been completely out of proportion. If he'd shut up and let James explain and apologize, then all this could have been avoided.

Not waiting for a reply, he turned his phone off and switched on the TV, flicking through the channels until he found some action movie with lots of guns and explosions. He didn't give a shit about the plot, but it suited his mood, so he watched it until his eyelids started to droop and then dragged himself to bed.

As he rolled onto his side and tucked his hand under the pillow, he caught the faint scent of Kendall's shampoo on his pillowcase. Sighing, he turned the pillow over and squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to keep the couple of tears that he felt threatening to escape. His anger had subsided, leaving a hollow feeling in his chest.

He didn't want to think about Kendall, he just wanted to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So, yeah... that just happened.<strong>

**I'm sure you all have a lot to say about this chapter, and I'd love to hear it! I'd also like to hear who's side you're on, or if you're on a side at all regarding Kames' argument.**

**Sadly, this story is coming to an end. There are only a few more chapters left so it'll be over within the next week or so. BUT, I am going to be posting a story I've been working on this weekend, so you all have that to look forward to! :)**

**I'm going to try and have the next chapter up by this weekend and I'm also going to try and have some other updates for you all as well!**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Before we get started, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**annabellex2**

**winterschild11**

**Riku child of Dawn**

**Chey21**

**Guest**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**germanfanfictioner**

**No-Emotions-To-Cry**

**child who is cool**

**RockChickWrites**

**Again, thank you all so much for the reviews! I loved reading your reactions to last chapter! I can see both sides of the argument, but I would probably have to lean a little more towards James' side. But I still feel bad for Kendall! :(**

**Anyways, this chapter is pretty short, but it pretty much just deals with how Kendall feels about everything.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The cool night air calmed Kendall's anger a little on the walk home but did nothing to soothe the hurt that had settled in his stomach like a cold, heavy stone.<p>

Fuck.

Did James really think so little of him, after all the time they'd spent together? Kendall thought he'd managed to show James that he was serious about him. But it seemed James had taken Kendall at face value, just like everyone else. Good old Kendall, a bit of an ass, good for a laugh, but not for anything meaningful. But this time things had been different, or at least Kendall had thought they were.

He nearly tripped over an empty soda can that someone had left lying on the pavement, and he stomped on it savagely, crushing it almost flat, then kicked it as hard as he could. It rattled off into the darkness under a parked car. Kendall wished he could make his feelings disappear as easily.

Back at the apartment, he was hoping he could sneak off to his room and sulk in peace. But no such luck. He bumped into Carlos in the hallway as he came in.

Carlos smiled. "Oh hi, Kendall. How was the date?" But then he noticed Kendall's expression, and his face fell. "Oh... something must have went wrong. What happened?"

Kendall shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

He should have known that Carlos wouldn't take no for an answer. He took Kendall's elbow, steering him firmly into the living room where Logan was watching TV. Logan took one look at Kendall's face and paused the show.

Carlos pushed Kendall down onto the couch next to Logan and sat down on his other side, one hand on Kendall's knee.

"Do you want me to go?" Logan asked.

Even though he's been living there a while now and was as much Kendall's friend as Carlos was, he still tended to defer to Carlos' best-friend status in times of crisis.

Kendall shook his head. "No, it's fine. I know Carlos will tell you everything anyway. And knowing him, he'll probably exaggerate."

Carlos pouted as Logan chuckled.

"It's no big deal." Kendall said. "We just had a bit of a falling out."

There was a silence. It was obvious neither of the others were going to fill it. So Kendall sighed. "It's stupid, really, and I probably overreacted, but he touched a nerve."

Carlos squeezed Kendall's knee. "What happened?"

"We had a great date. It all went well, and I went back to his place. Then stuff happened." Kendall said vaguely.

"Sex stuff?" Carlos asked. "I _knew _you wouldn't make it to five dates. That's ten bucks you owe me." He said to Logan over Kendall's head.

Kendall glared at him.

"Oh, sorry. You were saying?" Carlos had the decency to look slightly guilty.

"First of all, we didn't _actually _have sex... but we did go against our deal. So after, James made a comment suggesting that I would leave now that I'd got what I wanted."

"Ouch." Logan winced.

"Seriously?" Carlos' voice raised in anger. "What a fucker. I can't believe he said that."

"Well, the thing is, now that I've calmed down a bit, I think maybe he was joking." Kendall admitted. "But at the time I was really angry and didn't let him explain."

"Ugh." Carlos said. "That sucks."

"Yeah."

"It was kind of a shitty thing to say though, even if he _was _joking." Logan said. "Especially straight after... you know."

"Yeah." Kendall said again, then sighed.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the silence.

"That might be him, apologizing." Carlos suggested. "Well, go on, aren't you going to look?"

Kendall pulled his phone out.

"'I was only fucking joking.'" He read out the words on the screen "Not much of an apology, is it? Fuck it. I'm going to bed."

He stood, and Carlos' hand fell away from his knee.

"Aren't you going to reply?" Logan asked.

"Not tonight. I've got a headache." Kendall attempted to joke, but he knew it was weak. He was still hurting, and James' text had only rekindled his anger. "I'm going to crash and sleep on it."

He brushed his teeth so hard, he was sure he had almost made his gums bleed before stripping down to his boxers and getting into bed. He read James' message again, then turned off his phone and tried to sleep. But he tossed and turned, unable to settle. His thoughts wouldn't switch off, and the horrible, hollow feeling in his gut persisted.

Eventually he turned his phone back on and typed a reply:

**_You need to work on your jokes, it wasn't funny :(_**

Kendall waited a while to see whether James would text back, but after half an hour, he gave up. He was crazy if he was going to wait up all night for an apology. He switched off his phone again so that he wouldn't be listening for it and forced himself into sleep with a combination of brutal determination, deep breathing, and sheep counting.

He refused to lose sleep over one stupid comment.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So yeah, I think it's pretty clear how Kendall feels. <strong>

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on everything as well as your thoughts on Kendall's revealed feelings for James (even though it's been pretty obvious so it isn't really a revelation) :P**

**I already have the next chapter ready, and I'll be posting it sometime tomorrow!**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello again everyone! As promised, I'm back with another chapter! Before we get started, I'd like to give a huge thank you/shout-out to those that reviewed last chapter!**

**Riku child of Dawn**

**annabellex2**

**Chey21**

**No-Emotions-To-Cry**

**winterschild11**

**child who is cool**

**germanfanfictioner**

**XxxAnimaniacxxX**

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing!**

**So I'm sure you all have been waiting to see how this whole mess is going to be fixed. Well, you may or may not get to find out in this chapter ;)**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p>James slept surprisingly well, considering.<p>

He woke late in the morning feeling rested and relaxed. Still half asleep, he rolled onto his back and stretched luxuriously. He let his hand creep down and squeeze his morning erection and weighed his options between having a wank in bed now or in the shower a little later. But then the events of the evening before came flooding back into his consciousness in a cold, unpleasant rush, dousing his libido as effectively as a bucket of icy water.

"Fuck." He muttered.

He got up and made a bowl of cereal, eating mechanically as his mind replayed the stupid argument he'd had with Kendall. When he finished he found his phone on the coffee table where he'd left it last night and turned it back on.

There was a reply from Kendall about an hour after James had texted him.

**_You need to work on your jokes, it wasn't funny :(_**

The sad face hit James like a punch in the gut. He knew his flippant comment had pissed Kendall off, but he hadn't really made the connection that he'd hurt him. He definitely owed Kendall an apology.

He was tempted to text, unsure of how Kendall was going to react, but texts could me misconstrued or the tone misinterpreted, and James felt they'd already fucked up their communication enough for one weekend. So he plucked up his courage and pressed Call.

It rang and rang, then went to voice mail. "Shit." James cursed as he listened to Kendall's recorded message. His heart thumped uncomfortably, but he didn't end the call.

"Um... it's me. I'm sorry for making that stupid comment. Can you call me? I really want to talk to you."

He lay back on the sofa, phone in hand, and waited.

Just as he was about to give up and go find something to do as a distraction, his phone buzzed, and his adrenaline surged as he saw Kendall's name on the screen.

"Hey, thanks for calling back." James gripped the phone tightly, staring at the ceiling.

"Sorry it took a while. I was in the shower."

There was a long pause while James tried to find the right words, but before he could shape a coherent sentence, Kendall filled the silence by saying, "It _was _a stupid comment."

James snorted. "You got my message then. Yeah... I really am sorry. It was a stupid thing to say, but I honestly didn't mean for you to take it seriously."

There was an uncomfortable pause before Kendall finally replied.

"I thought you meant it..." The raw honesty in his voice cut through James. "I thought that you felt like you were still only a conquest to me."

"I don't know what I am to you." James said honestly. "I honestly don't."

There was a huff of breath on the end of the line. "Yeah, okay. I'll give you that one. I'm not sure I know either. But you're definitely more than a casual hookup, that's for sure. I like you, a lot, and I don't want this to be over."

James' chest expanded with relief. "Me neither. So, do you forgive me being a jerk?"

"I suppose." Kendall's voice was light, obviously teasing. But then he sounded serious again as he admitted, "And I guess I did overreact just a tad..."

"Just a tad." James agreed, trying not to chuckle.

"It's my blond temper. We're fiery, you know. Wait, or is that redheads?" Kendall asked before letting out a sigh. "Or... okay, maybe that's a bullshit excuse, but I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain last night."

"It's okay. We're good now, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, are we back on for our fifth date?" James asked, crossing the fingers of his free hand as he waited for Kendall's reply.

"Of course."

"Good. I want to make it up to you for ruining things last night, so I'll text or call you and let you know what we're doing once I've worked it out. But keep Saturday evening free."

He didn't have a place in mind, but he knew he wanted to make it special.

"Okay."

The silence stretched out, but it wasn't awkward like before. James couldn't think of anything to say. He wished Kendall were there so they could kiss and make up, but it would probably have to wait till next week. He sighed. "I guess I'd better go. I was going to head to the gym before lunch."

"Nice. I'll imagine you all sweaty and pumped while I'm lying on the couch in my pajamas."

"Lazy."

"Yeah, well. My shoulders are killing me after climbing yesterday, so I'm not doing anything energetic today."

"Aw, poor baby. You need a massage." James teased.

"Are you offering?"

James considered it for a moment. The thought of sacking his plans for the day and getting his hands all over Kendall instead was tempting.

But Kendall cut in again before he could answer.

"Don't worry. I've got loads of shit I need to do today, and if you came over here, I wouldn't get any of it done."

"Next Saturday then?"

"Yeah, next Saturday. But we'll talk before then?"

"Sure."

When they ended the call, James grinned at the ceiling, his mind already running over some possible plans for their next date.

XxX

They talked on the phone every night that week before the went to sleep.

It wasn't planned, it just happened. One of them would either call or text, but the texting always ended with a call anyway because they had too much to say, and then they'd talk until on or both of them started yawning and almost dozing off while they were speaking.

Sometimes the calls were flirty and sexy, but other times they chatted about their day, their families, their ambitions, and dreams for the future. They skirted around the subject of their relationship. James had been doing a lot of thinking with the fifth date approaching. He definitely didn't want to end things there, and he was pretty confident Kendall didn't either, but neither of them had acknowledged the elephant in the room, and there was no discussion about what would happen next. James supposed they'd cross that bridge on Saturday.

Meanwhile James had been making plans.

Lucy was going to be way again, so James would have the apartment to himself. He wanted to surprise Kendall, to plan something special. But in order to do it, he was going to need some help.

He texted Carlos on Thursday evening, asking him to call when Kendall wasn't around.

"What's up?" Carlos asked when he called James a little later. "This is all a bit cloak-and-dagger. Is everything okay? You'd better not have upset my boy again."

"No, everything's fine." James quickly reassured him. "But I'm planning something for Saturday, and I need your input. I want to cook for Kendall, but I'm not sure what his favorite foods are, and I thought you would know. Is there anything he really hates or allergic to?"

"Aww, that's cute. Hang on. Let me think... Logan?" Carlos' voice sounded a little muffled now as though he was holding the phone away from his face. "What stuff have you cooked that Kendall likes?" He addressed James again. "He's the one who's into cooking. Before he moved in we ate a lot of take out and pizza."

James could hear Logan in the background but he couldn't make out his reply.

"He says you can't go wrong with a nice piece of meat." Carlos giggled. "I'm inclined to agree."

"Very funny. Can you be more specific?"

"Oh, just give me the damn phone." Logan's voice was clearer that time.

"Okay, I'm handing you over to my resident meat expert." Carlos said, tone dripping in innuendo. "He'll sort you out, won't you baby?"

"Oh my God." James chuckled.

"I'm sorry about Carlos." James could practically hear Logan's eye-roll through the phone. "He can't help himself. But seriously, Kendall's a steak guy. Medium rare."

"Okay, thanks Logan. Any suggestions for dessert?"

"Lemon cheesecake." Logan replied immediately. "He sometimes buys those individual ones from the store, so I know he likes them."

"That sounds perfect, thanks." James wasn't sure if he had the right stuff in his kitchen to make a cheesecake, but he supposed he could always go to one of the better stores and buy a good one.

"Carlos wants to talk to you again. Good luck, I hope the date goes well."

_Me too,_ James thought, his stomach fluttering with nerves. It felt like there was an awful lot riding on this last date of the five.

"He really likes you, you know." Carlos sounded more serious than James had ever heard him. "I know it's not my business, and I should probably stay out of it- Ouch, stop kicking me Loges. But I've never seen Kendall so goofy over anyone before. He was really hurt on Saturday night when you had that fight and he was miserable first thing on Sunday, until you called him anyway."

James flushed, but he was smiling at Carlos' words.

"Yeah, well... we sorted it out."

"I gathered that much. Now don't fuck it up again, or I'll have to come around there and kick your ass."

James snorted. "Yeah, right." Carlos was five inches shorter than him, he was sure he could take him.

"I'll get Logan to help, he might not be bigger than me, but does tae kwon do, and he could totally take you."

"Okay, Carlos, I get it. I won't fuck it up. I really like him too, you know."

"Oh, thank God for that." Carlos sighed with relief. "So, yeah I just wanted you to know. I think Kendall's into you even if he's scared of admitting it. Logie's glaring at me, so I'll stop now. Good luck on Saturday."

"Thanks, and um... thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome. Bye James."

"Bye."

James set his phone aside and grinned like an idiot.

Now he needed to make sure everything was perfect on Saturday. He'd better make a shopping list.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! So Kames has made up! But their future is looking a little uncertain.<strong>

**Will Kames' fifth date go well? Will they continue dating after the fifth date? **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on these questions as well as your thoughts on the chapter! **

**I haven't had a lot of writing time lately, but I've been trying to write in my free time to get more updates out. Life's just been a little hectic lately. But hopefully I can update more soon.**

**I'm hoping to have the next chapter up sometime this week so until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


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